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

For a town that lives by horses and dies by the river, every drizzle is now a trigger. —Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025

For Jake, living by the dirty deal has always been something of a burden and the only modus operandi that was ever on the table, as ill-fitting as a Nick Cave suit on a Coney Island rabbit. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025

If Lisbon is the city girl, Algarve is her chill little sister who lives by the beach. —Sandy Pierre, Refinery29, 18 Sep. 2025

Sam Brick, who lives by the intersection, recalled watching the SUV barrel through the intersection where the crash occurred, according to WSB-TV. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for live by

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify