by the numbers

See also: by-the-numbers

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

The origin of this phrase goes back to the American Revolutionary War where a book containing numbered positions for rifle and bayonet practice was used to train soldiers. In the book, each diagram was numbered.

Prepositional phrase

by the numbers

  1. (idiomatic) to do something exactly, precisely, or in a formulaic way.

Synonyms

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