by numbers
idiom
: in a way that follows the rules or instructions but that is not interesting or original
Dancing by numbers isn't good enough. You have to really feel the music.
Examples of by numbers in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jurors are identified by numbers, are not allowed to be photographed or recorded, and only lawyers have access to their names.
—
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 Apr. 2024
But where photographers had struggled to capture the nuances and fiery hues of the sun’s corona, Butler succeeded by taking meticulous shorthand notes during the eclipses, then filling in the gaps later, a bit like a paint by numbers kit.
—Elissaveta M. Brandon, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
The traditional way of multiplying two n-by-n matrices — by multiplying numbers from each row in the first matrix by numbers in the columns in the second — requires n3 separate multiplications.
—Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
According to British lingerie brand Katherine Hamilton, the band size refers to the size of your rib cage and is represented by numbers (32, 34, 36, etc.).
—USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
Even when proportional to the departures of their male counterparts, women’s congressional departures evoke a sense of precariousness of gender progress at the highest levels of political office, at least when progress is measured by numbers alone.
—Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Hundreds of people are buried in the Hinds County pauper's field in graves marked by numbers.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
The report released Thursday does not name school employees directly, instead listing them by numbers.
—Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
Currently, there are 240 species in the data set, with 900 characteristics represented by numbers.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 20 Apr. 2024
But where photographers had struggled to capture the nuances and fiery hues of the sun’s corona, Butler succeeded by taking meticulous shorthand notes during the eclipses, then filling in the gaps later, a bit like a paint by numbers kit.
—Elissaveta M. Brandon, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
The traditional way of multiplying two n-by-n matrices — by multiplying numbers from each row in the first matrix by numbers in the columns in the second — requires n3 separate multiplications.
—Quanta Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
According to British lingerie brand Katherine Hamilton, the band size refers to the size of your rib cage and is represented by numbers (32, 34, 36, etc.).
—USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
Even when proportional to the departures of their male counterparts, women’s congressional departures evoke a sense of precariousness of gender progress at the highest levels of political office, at least when progress is measured by numbers alone.
—Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Hundreds of people are buried in the Hinds County pauper's field in graves marked by numbers.
—Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
The report released Thursday does not name school employees directly, instead listing them by numbers.
—Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024
Currently, there are 240 species in the data set, with 900 characteristics represented by numbers.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'by numbers.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near by numbers
Cite this Entry
“By numbers.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20numbers. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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