Advertisement
Advertisement
by the numbers
Idioms and Phrases
In a strict sequence, step-by-step; also, mechanically. For example, The only way to assemble this computer is to do it by the numbers , or Writing a novel is not something one can do by the numbers . This expression has nothing to do with actual numerical figures (like by the dozen ) but uses numbers in the sense of a strict order or sequence.Example Sentences
By the numbers, it’s not the bestselling at all, but it doesn’t matter.
“Your job is to elevate what you’re doing and not do it by the numbers. You have to find a personal reason for being there. It’s not just a question of being a good soldier; it’s to make the character live.”
The phrase is commonly used in the business world: It pops up often in transcripts of earnings calls, and a satirical 2014 Forbes piece about management consulting jargon defined it as a useful way to describe a theory that is not supported by the numbers that are supposed to support it.
By the numbers, it’s a tight race.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the biggest takeaways, by the numbers.
Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse