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 first step for organizations is thus making employees aware of the risk of sleep deprivation instead of idolizing those who get by with little sleep. Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The 71-year-old widow was already struggling to get by on $2,400 a month in Social Security payments. Shannon Pettypiece, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024 The Substance follows Moore's Elisabeth Sparkle, a once renowned actress who's had to resort to Jane Fonda-style workout videos to get by. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024 Plenty of people, like me, get by on significantly less for their age, while others require a good bit more. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near get by

Cite this Entry

“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20by. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

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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