get by

verb

got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by

intransitive verb

1
: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment
2
: to make ends meet : survive
3
: to proceed without being discovered, criticized, or punished

Examples of get by in a Sentence

working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely
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 2025 roster feels serviceable, which might be enough to get by in the mediocre NFC South. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 Almost half of America's youngest workers are raiding their retirement accounts just to get by, a new report has found. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025 Sadly, after about a decade of getting by, the dairy market tanked. Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Fischer's group is organizing volunteers to deliver food and help people get by as long as the operation lasts. Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for get by

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get by was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20by. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

get by

verb
1
: to make ends meet : manage
2
: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment

More from Merriam-Webster on get by

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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