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

The dark comedy centers on Malina and Viktor, a sister and brother getting by on the fringes of post-Communist Macedonia by pilfering busts of national heroes cast in bronze, along with manhole covers, and selling off the metal. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026

Wildcat Lake laptops like these have budget-friendly starting prices, but often with just 8GB of RAM, which Windows laptops can struggle to get by on. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026

We‑‑there’s a huge amount of the population like just barely getting by. — Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2026

Local governments would also have to get by with far less, seeing revenue cut by potentially hundreds of millions. — Romy Ellenbogen, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 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