get by
verb
got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by
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
Nothing got by Courtney as the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 3-2.
1968 — Montreal and San Diego were awarded National League franchises as the league expanded for the first time in seven years.
—
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Everybody’s just trying to do enough to get by, and that just wears you out.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 25 May 2025
For example, imagine a team project where everyone quietly agrees to put in just enough effort to get by, no more, no less.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Joey Logano gets by Christopher Bell, who got side-by-side for the lead once again.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for get by
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.
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Everybody’s just trying to do enough to get by, and that just wears you out.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 25 May 2025
For example, imagine a team project where everyone quietly agrees to put in just enough effort to get by, no more, no less.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Joey Logano gets by Christopher Bell, who got side-by-side for the lead once again.
—Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for get by
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20by. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share