eat an elephant one bite at a time

verb

To do something one step at a time; to do something in steps rather than all at once.

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Meanings

verbeat an elephant one bite at a time (third-person singular simple present eats an elephant one bite at a time, present participle eating an elephant one bite at a time, simple past ate an elephant one bite at a time, past participle eaten an elephant one bite at a time)

present singular third person eats an elephant one bite at a time · participle present eating an elephant one bite at a time · past ate an elephant one bite at a time · participle past eaten an elephant one bite at a time · alternative eat the elephant one bite at a time

  1. idiomaticchiefly proverbTo do something one step at a time; to do something in steps rather than all at once.
Cite this entry
APA

eat an elephant one bite at a time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20an%20elephant%20one%20bite%20at%20a%20time

MLA

“eat an elephant one bite at a time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20an%20elephant%20one%20bite%20at%20a%20time. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eat an elephant one bite at a time,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eat%20an%20elephant%20one%20bite%20at%20a%20time.

Source: eat an elephant one bite at a time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.