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

Rothschild said her direct support providers, who are paid through a Medicaid waiver, come by for one to three hours, four to five days a week, to help her cook, clean, shop and organize. —Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 19 July 2025

The idea and rhetoric of energy dominance has its roots in the first Trump administration, although a formal definition for the phrase is hard to come by. —ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025

Some of them talked about their despondency, their sense of being trapped in the relentless cycle of the tour, in which meaning can be hard to come by; even the best have to grow accustomed to disappointment. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

Of their 12 regular season victories, nine came by one possession. —Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 14 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