dribs and drabs

plural noun

informal
: small amounts that come or happen over a period of time
They received donations in dribs and drabs.

Examples of dribs and drabs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
My father agreed to give us something in dribs and drabs. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025 All new parents know that precious moments with your firstborn come in dribs and drabs and then in a torrent. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025 Congress has approved the grant money in dribs and drabs recently. — Tribune News Service, Oc Register, 7 Oct. 2025 Over the years, the photos come out in dribs and drabs, less frequently than his singles, though both were occasions for celebration. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dribs and drabs

Rhymes for dribs and drabs

See All Rhymes for dribs and drabs

Browse Nearby Words

driblet cone
dribs and drabs
dridder
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dribs and drabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dribs%20and%20drabs. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All