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

These pieces are high quality, which can be hard to come by today due to the mass production of bar and kitchen items. —Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 2 Jan. 2026

Our editors were impressed by how these pickles retained a crunchy snap and toothsome texture all the way through—something that is hard to come by with the brining and preservation necessary for a shelf-stable pickle. —Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026

That list accounts for nine of their 13 wins, and only one of those nine came by more than one score. —Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2026

But that could mean an advance for the overall index is harder to come by. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 2 Jan. 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