by 1 of 2

1
2
as in with
using the means or agency of try to convince them by reason alone, if possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in during
in the course of she attends college by day and works at the club by night

Synonyms & Similar Words

by

2 of 2

adverb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of by
Preposition
The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025 LeBlanc said the affected faculty members taught fewer classes than required by their contracts, and thus must reimburse the college. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
Whether the week dragged or flew by, the weekend has arrived — and so have a host of events across the Sacramento region, from family outings and concerts to high school football and college sports. Marcus Smith, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Around the same time, Ortega-Jiménez discovered that spiderwebs deform when positively charged insects fly by, bulging out to ensnare them. Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for by
Preposition
  • The Jays will likely look to make a pitching splash via a trade or free agency.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Those who felt the earthquake are encouraged to report it via the USGS Felt Report form.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Preposition
  • The school is a part of Aspire Public Schools, a network of charter schools with locations in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Los Angeles.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Chen is now one of China’s most popular English-language creators, with more than two million followers combined on Instagram and Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
    Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Preposition
  • In September, Vanity Fair wrote a story detailing new revelations around his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s correspondence with the disgraced financier.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Helm waits around for the skies to clear.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Preposition
  • Iran, Baghdad’s arch enemy during Hussein’s rule, now enjoys significant influence in Iraq – another direct result of the US invasion.
    Ben Wedeman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Guests look at a model of the largest data center in the UAE under construction in Abu Dhabi as the Stargate initiative, a joint venture between G42, Microsoft, and OpenAI, during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi on November 3, 2025.
    Sam Meredith,Dan Murphy, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
  • Childs, who flew in from Atlanta, said her flight was delayed due to aircraft issues.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • As for the skirt, the silhouette was breezy and looked to be easy to move around in.
    Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
Preposition
  • The organization’s Green Heart Project, which studies the impact of better air quality on heart disease through urban greening, has found that increasing the number of trees and shrubs in an area can create lower levels of a blood marker associated with inflammation.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • After struggling to get pregnant again, the couple decided to expand their family through surrogacy.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • On Friday, clashes between protesters and immigration agents erupted near a middle school in Evanston, a suburb north of Chicago.
    NPR, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
  • In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Preposition
  • An emergency order by the FAA on Thursday said airlines have to cut traffic by 4%, resulting in about 800 flight cancellations for Friday that increased to over 1,000 throughout the day, according to FlightAware.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • But Miami ended the third ahead 94-88 and kept control throughout the fourth, keeping its lead in double figures for the final six minutes.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025

Cite this Entry

“By.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/by. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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