as in slowly
by small steps or amounts
gradually worked his way down the class roster add the sugar to the beaten egg whites gradually to make the meringue
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Recent Examples of gradually
The Suns led by nine in the first quarter, but the Thunder gradually regained control and led for the entire second half.
—
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
These Birkenstock Arizonas are also made with their signature cork footbeds, which can mold to the shape of your feet gradually to improve comfort and support your foot health.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The central African country's General Inspectorate of Mines said in a statement the new unit would be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December following six months of training in military collaboration.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The product itself uses mixed materials that were chosen for their structure and fragrance absorption ability, allowing scent to hold more effectively and release more gradually.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The project was about permeating the masses, gradually lulling them with propaganda.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Some towns chose to ease the revaluation pain by gradually phasing in the new, higher assessments over several years, say 25% annually over four years.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
The week will start with daytime highs in the low 80s, nighttime highs in the low 70s and gradually heat up.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
These Birkenstock Arizonas are also made with their signature cork footbeds, which can mold to the shape of your feet gradually to improve comfort and support your foot health.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
The central African country's General Inspectorate of Mines said in a statement the new unit would be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December following six months of training in military collaboration.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The product itself uses mixed materials that were chosen for their structure and fragrance absorption ability, allowing scent to hold more effectively and release more gradually.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The project was about permeating the masses, gradually lulling them with propaganda.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
Some towns chose to ease the revaluation pain by gradually phasing in the new, higher assessments over several years, say 25% annually over four years.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
The week will start with daytime highs in the low 80s, nighttime highs in the low 70s and gradually heat up.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gradually
Adverb
-
But the device did start to heat up around the eight minute mark and the results started slowly coming in.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Over the last 15 years, countries including Canada and Ireland have slowly built up animation hubs, aided by their local talent and lucrative production incentives specific to animation and visual effects.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Meeting up with my friends and fiancé at a local dive bar in Washington, DC, answering progressively trickier questions about geography, science, history, politics and my favorite, pop culture – what wasn't there to like?—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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For Starmer, whose future as leader of a progressively rudderless Labour Party is now at risk, these projections are about as helpful as a hole in the head.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gradually.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gradually. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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