by inches

Speech parts

1. by inches - Adverb

2. by inches - Phrase

Meaning

by a short distance

Source: WordNet

Synonyms

by small degrees gradually slowly barely piecemeal little by little only just inchmeal howsoever by degrees inch by inch by a whisker by a hair's breadth by the skin of one's teeth by little and little
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Antonyms

straightaway at once against the clock lightning fast without further ado before you can say knife
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Examples

They that die by famine die by inches. Matthew Henry

I'd rather die at sea, with one deep gulp of death, than die by inches on this desolate island here! Homer

Evil comes to us by ells and goes away by inches. English Proverb

Ill luck enters by fathoms and departs by inches. Spanish Proverb

The ground of liberty must be gained by inches. American Proverb

they moved it by inches Source: Internet

Words in the phrase

by inches

Close letter words and terms

by implication by imputation by in driblets by inchmeal by inference by inheritance