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
Synonyms
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
My father was able to get by with using a fraction of the painkillers prescribed to him and was able to stop using them much earlier than prescribed.
—
Javier Hasse, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Even in some of the most extreme environments on the planet, people manage to get by, largely thanks to the innovations of technology.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2023
After that, the poor man gets by, barely, as a tinkerer with a pawnshop.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
Curtis is co-founder of Comic Relief, and the charity has raised over £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) to support organizations that support people trying to get by in the face of poverty and injustice in the U.K. and around the world since launching in 1985.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023
Many actors, who’ve always relied on side hustles and day jobs to get by, had much to gain by going out on strike.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
These will be those not earning high incomes, but getting by on the occasional deal that offered a good payout.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Lined up at split end, Etienne quickly got by a zone defender near the sideline.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023
Just trying to get by But these generations are responding to their money worries differently, in line with their life stages.
—Hillary Hoffower, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023
See More
Javier Hasse, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Even in some of the most extreme environments on the planet, people manage to get by, largely thanks to the innovations of technology.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2023
After that, the poor man gets by, barely, as a tinkerer with a pawnshop.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
Curtis is co-founder of Comic Relief, and the charity has raised over £1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) to support organizations that support people trying to get by in the face of poverty and injustice in the U.K. and around the world since launching in 1985.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023
Many actors, who’ve always relied on side hustles and day jobs to get by, had much to gain by going out on strike.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
These will be those not earning high incomes, but getting by on the occasional deal that offered a good payout.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Lined up at split end, Etienne quickly got by a zone defender near the sideline.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023
Just trying to get by But these generations are responding to their money worries differently, in line with their life stages.
—Hillary Hoffower, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get by.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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. 2023.
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Kids Definition
get by
verb1
: to make ends meet : manage
2
: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment
More from Merriam-Webster on get by
Nglish: Translation of get by for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of get by for Arabic Speakers
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