come by

verb

came by; come by; coming by; comes by
Synonyms of come bynext

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The only person who’d come by in recent days was Tiffany, who’d slept over on Sunday night. Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026 This winter, consistent cold has been hard to come by. Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026 That may not seem like a lot, but that level of efficiency is hard to come by at high-level Texas football. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Jan. 2026 Goals were difficult to come by for both groups in a standout goalie showdown. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for come by

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of come by was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Come by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20by. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

come by

verb
1
: to make a visit
come by after dinner
2
: acquire
good help is hard to come by
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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