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

• cope
• do
• fare
• get along
• get on
• make out
• manage
• shift

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

With both Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez out injured, the Red Sox have struggled to get by with little to no depth at first base. —Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025

In the year 2081, Lucius Pasternak, a highly organized trans man living in the New York City Administrative and Security Territory, wants only to keep his head down and get by. —Isle McElroy, Vulture, 21 May 2025

Joey Logano gets by William Byron to recapture the lead! —Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025

Although tasked with responding to crises in the nation’s most disaster-prone region, her department had received just a tiny fraction of the city’s budget and was getting by with a staff of roughly 30. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025

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