From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishin/by fits and startsin/by fits and startsREGULARif something happens in fits and starts, it does not happen smoothly, but keeps starting and then stopping again Technology advances by fits and starts. He spoke in fits and starts. → fit
Examples from the Corpus
in/by fits and starts• Electoral reform is moving ahead in fits and starts.• But his proposals for electoral reform, now moving ahead in fits and starts, contain no such provision.• But civilization was approaching in fits and starts.• It has continued in fits and starts ever since.• This means the machine tends to go forward in fits and starts, sometimes quite quickly but at other times embarrassingly slowly.• The conversation is awkward, moving in fits and starts.• He spoke in fits and starts.• Although change often unfolds in fits and starts, organisations can learn to improve. 