by and large - on the whole, considering everything By and large we had a good meeting even though it was very short. by any means - by any way possible We decided to try to find a computer to use by any means. by chance - without planning By chance I saw my father's friend in the supermarket. by far - greatly, by a great margin He is by far the smartest person in his company. by fits and starts - irregularly, with many stops and starts By fits and starts the company was finally able to begin business. by hook or by crook - in any way necessary My.