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

Jane Andriese and Grace Matke, both of Lowell, came by Thursday to donate bread, lunch meat, cheese, fruit, granola bars, and other food items for the first responders and community members impacted by the storm. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026

Specifics, at this stage, are hard to come by, but Porsche’s CEO confirmed at a conference that the company’s interest in the new cars is more than just passing. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026

Patton employees came by on Thursday morning to fix the air conditioning but Lilburn said the repairs usually don't last long. —Zach Boetto, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026

Information about arrests conducted by ICE is hard to come by, and even more so, the arrests under 287(g). —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026

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