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

• 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

While the Swede has found chances difficult to come by at grounds like Old Trafford, Anfield and St James’ Park, this fixture was made for him. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Chinese engineers excel at copying and refining Western advances, but true disruptive invention remains harder to come by. —Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Bigger purchases, like good knife sets, are a little harder to come by on sale, but there will likely be a few on the way. —Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025

Food insecurity in Kentucky’s rural areas is even more stark, and legal representation harder to come by. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025

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