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

Tiny Goliath Trounces an Even Tinier David<\/h2>

While the iPad will continue to help the average user get by with paying the bills or writing their next breakout sci-fi novel, while maybe even tweaking some family photos, the MacBook Neo’s superior processor does it all better. —PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026

On the other side of the bracket, Vanderbilt would have to get by teams like Notre Dame, Fairfield, Illinois, Ohio State or Illinois. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026

Federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, according to a 2019 law, but getting by until then can be hard. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026

The actor plays Lou, brutally dumped on her wedding day and struggling to get by as a social media copywriter for a tortilla chip company. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 13 Mar. 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