one by one

idiom

: separately in a series : one at a time : first one and then another one, etc.

I solved the problems one by one.

The performers took the stage one by one.

Examples of one by one in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This past winter, one by one, Fetterman’s staffers began to leave his office. —

Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 The film largely centers on the relationship between one such white man, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his new wife, Mollie (Lily Gladstone), whose family is being killed one by one. —

and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 21 June 2024 The studio is consistent with making high-quality animation that appeals to both children and adults, with storylines that do not tug at your heartstrings so much as rip them out slowly, one by one. —

Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 3 June 2024 As the verdict in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial was read out in court, talking heads chose to announce every single guilty verdict one by one, seemingly on loop, with each count sounding funnier than the last. —

Zoe Guy, Vulture, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for one by one

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'one by one.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.