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

As cold weather continues to slam the South, the stories of how people and animals are getting by continue to filter in. —Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

Sometimes, those familiar chord changes provide enough sustenance to get by. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026

Yes, some filmmakers could get by using less emotion and showing more loyalty to the source material. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026

But for now, Hanson is just trying to get by. —Amanda Hari, CBS News, 22 Jan. 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