piecemeal
adverb
, -ˈmēl\
Definition of piecemeal
(Entry 1 of 2)
piecemeal
adjectiveDefinition of piecemeal (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for piecemeal
Synonyms: Adverb
gradationally, gradually, inchmeal, little by little, piece by piece
Synonyms: Adjective
gradational, gradual, incremental, phased, step-by-step
Antonyms: Adverb
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of piecemeal in a Sentence
Adverb
remodeled their house piecemeal because of budgetary constraints one well-aimed blow ripped the piñata piecemealAdjective
They've done piecemeal repairs in the past, but the bridge now needs major reconstruction. Some people want the changes to be made all at once, but I think we should take a more piecemeal approach.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
The response was piecemeal, lacking a grand plan, strategic vision or large-scale mobilisation of public money. — The Economist, "India’s government is scrambling to revive the economy," 31 Aug. 2019 It was worked piecemeal and couldn’t be held in my brain in its entirety. — David Means, Harper's magazine, "A writer alone with the work," 10 Apr. 2019 In any case, Apple is expected to roll out updates piecemeal over iOS 12's lifetime rather than front loading them in one big update. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "WWDC 2018: What we expect Apple to announce on June 4," 1 June 2018 To avoid feeling overwhelmed by this task, tackle it piecemeal, a room, closet, shelf, drawer at a time. — Jane E. Brody, charlotteobserver, "How to age well and stay in your home," 27 June 2018 To avoid feeling overwhelmed by this task, tackle it piecemeal, a room, closet, shelf, drawer at a time. — Jane E. Brody, charlotteobserver, "How to age well and stay in your home," 27 June 2018 To avoid feeling overwhelmed by this task, tackle it piecemeal, a room, closet, shelf, drawer at a time. — New York Times, "How to Age Well and Stay in Your Home," 21 May 2018 To avoid feeling overwhelmed by this task, tackle it piecemeal, a room, closet, shelf, drawer at a time. — Jane E. Brody, charlotteobserver, "How to age well and stay in your home," 27 June 2018 The circumstances of his eventual departure are revealed piecemeal, as the narrative cycles between past and present, examining conflicts and betrayals from many perspectives. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 24 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
By the early 1970s McAlester’s mother, Dorothy Savage, worked to rehabilitate houses that had fallen into disrepair, but piecemeal efforts were not enough. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "Virginia McAlester Is the Most Popular Architecture Writer in America," 6 June 2019 Viewing the story in such a piecemeal fashion has a profound effect on its impact, too. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Telling Lies takes an intimate, expansive view of interactive storytelling," 23 Aug. 2019 Arad's piecemeal deal-making gave way to a more cohesive approach when Feige stepped up to produce 2008's Iron Man. — Hugh Hart, Fortune, "How Marvel Pictures the Future, Post ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Endgame’," 17 July 2019 Even with the piecemeal restrictions the FTC did impose, O’Brien said it’s possible the company can find enough wiggle room to work around them. — Washington Post, "Are Facebook users better off after its $5 billion fine?," 26 July 2019 Though Young’s bill is still in committee and shows no signs of becoming law any time soon, the executive branch is quietly carrying out a piecemeal decentralization of its own. — Declan Leary, National Review, "The Republican Plan to Drain the Swamp," 23 July 2019 Until the mid-1880s, when elitists on both sides of the international border successfully lobbied for a joint cleanup and government ownership, the falls’ banks were carnivals of piecemeal exploitation, hucksterism and general neglect. — Dennis Drabelle, chicagotribune.com, "Grinnell: The adventurer who helped preserve wild lands and Native American history," 23 July 2019 Will it be hidden away until your new building is opened five years from now, then occasionally brought out piecemeal in temporary shows? — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "An open letter to LACMA architect Peter Zumthor: Stop dissing L.A.’s art," 9 July 2019 So what? City officials and the business community would prefer to pass a comprehensive tax bill, rather than deal with a flurry of piecemeal measures, which would help make their financial outlooks slightly more predictable. — Dominic Fracassa, SFChronicle.com, "SF launches sweeping review of city’s business taxes," 3 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'piecemeal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for piecemeal
piecemeal
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of piecemeal
See the full definition for piecemeal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
piecemeal
adverb
\
Kids Definition of piecemeal
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