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• step by step
  step by step

  phrase

  by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradually.
• step-by-step
  step-by-step

  adjective

  giving or involving one task or action at a time toward a goal.

step by step

¹ American  

phrase

1. by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradually.

2. by completing one task or action at a time toward the accomplishment of a goal.

3. by taking one step after another with the feet, or at a slow, deliberate walking pace.

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step-by-step ² American  

adjective

1. giving or involving one task or action at a time toward a goal.

2. happening or done by small degrees, increments, or stages; gradual.

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step by step Idioms  

1. By degrees, as in You'll have to go through this recipe step by step. This idiom transfers putting one foot in front of the other to other kinds of progress. [c. 1700]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

step by step step-by-step

The data showed that two of the most common mistakes were taking the medication daily instead of weekly and starting immediately with the highest dose instead of following the recommended step by step schedule.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

"That is why we are doing it carefully, step by step -- for what we can predict," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

If we want to reach the top of the mountain, we need to start the journey step by step.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

During the demolition, she writes, “I received pictures of the destruction step by step from people in DC. I could barely look.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

They’d move the ball down the field step by step until they got to the end zone.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

He said the deal takes "a step-by-step approach" meaning: "If there is verified decommissioning of weapons, that they are taken away from the factions and stored and ultimately rendered unusable, Israel then withdraws from Gaza."

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

AI agents -- systems that act autonomously to complete tasks rather than just responding to step-by-step prompts in a chatbot -- are hailed across the industry as the next chapter in AI.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

The models, operating largely free of U.S. government restrictions, patiently answered, issuing step-by-step instructions described by company employees as simple enough for a high-school biology student to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

I like to enjoy my noods in soup form, but you can also follow this step-by-step process for stir-fried noodles.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

By the time the sun started setting over the Manhattan skyline in the distance, Magdalys and Two Step were covered in soot, but they’d gotten the whole process down to a smooth, step-by-step rhythm.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• piecemeal