come by

verb

came by; come by; coming by; comes by

transitive verb

: to get possession of : acquire

A good job is hard to come by.

intransitive verb

: to make a visit

came by after dinner

Synonyms of come by

• visit
• run in
• drop by
• drop in

Examples of come by in a Sentence

come by after work and I'll give you some clothes for the rummage sale

a literary award like that isn't easy to come by

Recent Examples on the Web

His performance was badly needed on a night where runs were hard to come by for both sides, and after the game went to extra innings still scoreless the Red Sox finally broke through with a walk-off single by Masataka Yoshida in the bottom of the 10th to win 1-0. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026

Curators, art lovers and fellow artists are coming by for studio visits and show openings, which have gained a reputation as real shindigs. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026

With around 500 full-time residents, unspoiled shores, and no high-rises in sight, peace is easy to come by. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026

The surcharges also are placed on orchids shipped from Thailand, tulips from Holland, and eucylptus from San Diego and other nurseries in Washington state, that come by way of Santa Ana Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, or by truck — if possible. —Pat Maio, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for come by

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

come by

verb

1

: to make a visit

come by after dinner

2

: acquire

good help is hard to come by