thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
ˈt͟her-ˌbī
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
… thereby hangs a tale …—William Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s high-density user engagement with retailers such as Poshmark and Etsy boasting tens of millions of active users, thereby officially normalizing secondary apparel consumption into mainstream digital retail. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 July 2026 Whether this long pause was welcomed by the players, whose muscles were thereby granted an extended opportunity to seize up, is hard to say. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 The former minister of digital transformation made deals with Starlink to cut off Russian front-line access to satellite internet, thereby limiting Russia’s own drone capacity. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2026 To solve the dearth of heirs, government ministers have proposed reinstating former branches of the royal family, thereby expanding the pool of male successors. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thereby

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereby was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing thereby

Rhymes for thereby

See All Rhymes for thereby

Browse Nearby Words

(there) but for the grace of God (go I)
thereby
thereby hangs a tale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

thereby

adverb
there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
t͟he(ə)r-;
ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī, 
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a tale

More from Merriam-Webster on thereby

Nglish: Translation of thereby for Spanish Speakers

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