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

And a recent trend in productivity gains illustrates how spending on artificial intelligence has allowed some firms to get by with leaner staffing. —Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026

A lot of folks could likely get by with less storage, but Touch ID is pretty much an essential quality-of-life feature that Apple should've included with the base model. —New Atlas, 5 Mar. 2026

Shifting that $350,000 to the street department should be enough to get by until June, when the next property tax revenue arrives. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

The White House’s sudden strategy shift has nonetheless left many regional nations struggling to get by, and experts have warned that aid cuts could lead to many more deaths. —semafor.com, 3 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