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

Another major complication: Skilled manufacturing labor is hard to come by in the United States. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 July 2025

But optimism is hard to come by right now, both inside the building and for longtime fans who’ve come to expect success after appearing in seven consecutive WNBA Playoffs. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 7 July 2025

Offense was difficult to come by with Teoscar Hernandez out with discomfort in his left foot after taking the brunt of a foul ball in Saturday’s game. —Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 6 July 2025

Research in a lab setting requires strict safety controls and investments that are hard to come by for rare diseases. —Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 3 July 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