live by
phrasal verb
lived by; living by; lives by
1
: to agree with and follow (something, such as a set of beliefs)
He tried to live by his faith.
a principle I try to live by
2
: to survive by (doing something)
They were an ancient people who lived by hunting and gathering.
Examples of live by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Who will be eaten live by the winning team?
—
Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Above all, Keaton proves herself to be an utter original, a woman who lived by her own terms and her own code of ethics.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
There’s a sense here that Carol is, at a minimum, curious about how the Others are living by a certain set of principles.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
That is also the mission Laura Bent, the CEO, lives by.
—Sooji Nam, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live by
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Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Above all, Keaton proves herself to be an utter original, a woman who lived by her own terms and her own code of ethics.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
There’s a sense here that Carol is, at a minimum, curious about how the Others are living by a certain set of principles.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
That is also the mission Laura Bent, the CEO, lives by.
—Sooji Nam, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live by
Cite this Entry
“Live by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20by. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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