by inches

English

Prepositional phrase

by inches

1. Very gradually; by small degrees.

   Synonym: little by little

   to kill by inches

   to die by inches

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: pikkuhiljaa (fi)
• French: à petit feu (fr)

See also

• inch by inch

Further reading

• “by inches”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “by inches”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.