by itself
idiom
1
: without being directly controlled by a person : automatically
The computer shuts off by itself if you haven't used it for a while.
The sprinkler will turn on by itself.
2
: with nothing nearby : alone
The house stood by itself at the end of the street.
Examples of by itself in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And the long-ago established economic law of supply and demand means that taking millions of cars out of the supply could by itself drive up prices.
—
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
But in my tests, the RTX 5090 handled the graphics chores well all by itself, without any frame-boost oomph needed from DLSS 4.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 12 May 2025
The dog involved in the incident exited the water by itself and was unharmed.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Traveling to many places doesn't, by itself, make a full life.
—Meg Zukin, Time, 5 May 2025
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Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
But in my tests, the RTX 5090 handled the graphics chores well all by itself, without any frame-boost oomph needed from DLSS 4.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 12 May 2025
The dog involved in the incident exited the water by itself and was unharmed.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Traveling to many places doesn't, by itself, make a full life.
—Meg Zukin, Time, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for by itself
Cite this Entry
“By itself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20itself. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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