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

Approval on the final conditional use permit should be coming by the end of the year, which will allow portions of the property to open to the general public in addition to hotel guests. — Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

How to Get There Most visitors come by car, an easy, one-and-a-half-hour drive from both Sacramento and San Francisco. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2026

Over the years, Pigott’s pumpkin has become a genuine neighborhood attraction, with all kinds of people coming by to take its picture. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

The hotel can also arrange transportation by boat, helicopter, or private plane—alternatively, come by yacht and anchor down at the edge of the bay. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for come by

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

Kids Definition

come by

verb

1

: to make a visit

come by after dinner

2

: acquire

good help is hard to come by