line by line
One after another
Line by line means proceeding through something one line at a time, methodically and sequentially.
It describes careful, thorough examination: We went through the contract line by line.
The phrase applies to reading, editing, coding, or any process where attention to each individual unit matters: The editor reviewed the manuscript line by line.
- step by stepIn ordered stages
- stepFoot movement forward
- sequentialOccurring in succession
- verseMetered poetic passage
- stanzaPoem's line grouping
reading · code · parsing · source code · incremental · methodical · row · text · fine print · red pen · debugging · careful · meticulous · thorough · word for word · word · paragraph · tracing
- word by wordverbatim
- reading skillsvocabulary, literacy skills, decoding, grammar, fluency
- gradual phrasesbit by bit, little by little, step by step, one by one, piece by piece
- detailsdetail, particular, specific, fact, point
- fussinessfussiness, pickiness, picky, nitpicky, persnickety
line by lineskimming
Passing lightly over
at a glance · cursorily · superficially · scanning · hastily
line by lineall at once
Occurring without gradual buildup
in bulk · holistically · as a whole · in one go · wholesale
line, lines, lined, lining, liner, liners, linear, linearly, linearity