1. by the numbers - Adjective
2. by the numbers - Phrase
by the numbers
(idiomatic) exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.
Synonyms: by the book, by numbers
by-the-numbers (not comparable)
(idiomatic) Done in a predictable manner; formulaic.
by-the-numbers
You can't run a company simply by the numbers. So if you're going to bet on someone, you bet on someone you want to be in business with for a long time. Amy Pascal
The heart will turn to a prune if love is always by the numbers. How will you know if someone really loves you if they only meet your expectations and not your needs? Robert Fulghum
I hate it when, by page 30, I know what the lead's going to do and then what the bad guy's gonna do. Mostly it's just scripts by the numbers where nothing's surprising, nothing's interesting. Don Cheadle
I've been amazed by the numbers that have come out to see the torch relay, so being a part of it is lovely. Bryn Terfel
'In Search of Excellence' - even the title - is a reminder that business isn't dry, dreary, boring, or by the numbers. Life at work can be cool - and work that's cool isn't confined to Tiger Woods, Yo-Yo Ma, or Tom Hanks. It's available to all of us and any of us. Tom Peters
Statistics show that we lose more fools on this day than on all other days of the year put together. This proves, by the numbers left in stock, that one Fourth of July per year is now inadequate, the country has grown so. Mark Twain