How to Use incrementalism in a Sentence

incrementalism

noun
  • Some Democrats seem to be angry at this kind of incrementalism, and/or afraid the rug will be pulled out from under them.
    — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Oct. 2017
  • This incrementalism is not a retreat from the initial goal but rather realism.
    — Stefani Langehennig, The Conversation, 21 Nov. 2025
  • In this context, Biden sees the greatest risks in incrementalism.
    — David Brooks, Star Tribune, 21 May 2021
  • But there was a divide in the movement between those who argued for incrementalism and those who wanted the frontal assault.
    — New York Times, 25 June 2022
  • Kennedy, to his credit, wasn’t talking merely about incrementalism.
    — Sean Illing, Vox, 8 June 2018
  • Instead, we are asked to accept incrementalism.
    — Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
  • In a globalized world, this kind of provincialism and incrementalism has merit.
    — Tom McTague, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2021
  • Companies may protect themselves against major gaffes but risk a kind of plodding incrementalism.
    — Brian Christian, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2012
  • Draped in idealism and wisdom but anchored in data and incrementalism.
    — Dan Zak, Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2023
  • Decisive leadership and big ideas have given way to risk aversion and incrementalism.
    — New York Times, 21 June 2021
  • In an era crying out for radical thinking, Packer offers the damp squib of incrementalism.
    — Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2021
  • The clash between the social justice moment and Disney incrementalism could come to a head on the basketball court.
    — Washington Post, 4 July 2020
  • Silence is golden There's more incrementalism inside the new Pro.
    — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, 15 June 2017
  • Relentless incrementalism asks us to make steady progress without expecting to achieve radical change overnight.
    — Charles E. Owubah, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
  • But Loder’s systematic incrementalism had done what nothing else had.
    — Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2017
  • Liberals defended a commitment to truth and reason in the face of the big lie, and to incrementalism in the face of visionary madness.
    — The Economist, 4 Dec. 2019
  • After the invasion, our response has been better, but it's still been characterized a bit by incrementalism.
    — CBS News, 2 Mar. 2022
  • Instead, their climb up the charts has been defined by incrementalism -- the product of a growing fanbase rather than an ephemeral virality.
    — Caitlin Kelley, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2019
  • If, through her incrementalism, she can be seen as someone who made sturdy and stable the European ship, that would certainly be a worthy legacy.
    — Griff Witte, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Many supporters of Ukraine have criticized the piecemeal delivery of aid and other forms of incrementalism.
    — Austin Carson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023
  • And when global crises are intensifying, incrementalism isn’t enough.
    — Sivan Yaari, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The Biden administration’s climate strategy is starting to look a lot like tepid incrementalism.
    — Nick Martin, The New Republic, 25 May 2021
  • The numbers show that incrementalism is a road to ruin and the transformation in energy supply and consumption required for a better road is staggering.
    — Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2019
  • At a time when planetary boundaries are being crossed and social cohesion is fraying, the credibility of incrementalism is fading fast.
    — Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Such a siloed approach can lead to incrementalism, where small, isolated changes fail to capitalize on the broader potential of new technology or new ways of doing business. CSOs must spearhead a broader conversation about the ROI of sustainable practices.
    — David Craig, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
  • On matters of human sexuality, though, it can be argued that Francis’s incrementalism is vexing to the point of being incoherent.
    — Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2020
  • Black Visions was formed in 2017, after the president’s election, by younger activists who had grown impatient with incrementalism.
    — Astead W. Herndon, chicagotribune.com, 26 Sep. 2020
  • Critics on the right lambaste liberalism for rejecting tradition, while detractors on the left lament its tepid incrementalism and the cruelty of its economic policies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 3 July 2024
  • But hard realities forced Petro’s hand, and incrementalism may in fact have a better chance of successfully curbing Colombia’s violence.
    — Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
  • New ideas get workshopped into incrementalism; pilots run indefinitely without a decision to scale or sunset; energy goes to refining what exists rather than building what could be.
    — Patrick Jinks, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incrementalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: