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

Synonyms of get by

• cope
• do
• get on
• get along
• manage

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

Don Diamont gets by with a little help from his friends and former costars. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Nearly 20% of elementary and middle school teachers, 45% of food servers and 60% of cooks don’t make enough to get by, the numbers show. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Vandenberg was one of the better skaters in the 2026 draft class, with the quick-twitch feet to project to get by a lot of NHL defensemen. — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Both severe flooding and power outages plagued Hoboken late into the evening as drivers struggled to get by along Willow Street. — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for get by

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

get by

verb

1

: to make ends meet : manage

2

: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment