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

Or better yet, whether John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy will be able to get the most out McCarthy or Winston the rest of the season to get by. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Nov. 2026

Other young voters who broke for Democrats this year said their choices were motivated by personal experiences, including working multiple jobs to get by and watching artificial intelligence data center projects advance into their communities. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

Most get by with a single-speed transmission, relying on the broad torque delivery of an electric motor to do everything from pulling away at traffic lights to cruising at highway speeds. — New Atlas, 12 Nov. 2026

The dark comedy centers on Malina and Viktor, a sister and brother getting by on the fringes of post-Communist Macedonia by pilfering busts of national heroes cast in bronze, along with manhole covers, and selling off the metal. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 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