live by

phrasal verb

lived by; living by; lives by

: 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

: 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 The first is thought, by some, to mark the birth of modernism; the second, played live by Brent Griffin Jr. and cronies, ushered in a sub-genre now called free jazz. —

Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2024 The two opened up about their hopes for the future of the expedition while answering questions from reporters during an International Space Station press conference streamed live by CBS News on Wednesday, July 10. —

Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 10 July 2024 The album’s reggae rhythms were played live by The Compound Band, who individually tour with marquee Jamaican artists including Stephen Marley and Buju Banton. —

Patricia Meschino, Billboard, 1 July 2024 These were misfits who found liberation on two wheels and lived by their own violent, self-governing codes. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for live by

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'live by.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.