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
The advice that Sanders gave was advice to live by for not just Hunter, but every father out there.
—
Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Anchor your plan to the company goals that the CEO and CFO live by.
—Meghan Keough, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The Longs lived by a perplexing tangle of unspoken rules anchored by the admonishment to never invite the neighbors over.
—Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
The locals live by the weather, which is complicated and unpredictable.
—Outside Online, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live by
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Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Anchor your plan to the company goals that the CEO and CFO live by.
—Meghan Keough, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The Longs lived by a perplexing tangle of unspoken rules anchored by the admonishment to never invite the neighbors over.
—Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 30 Aug. 2025
The locals live by the weather, which is complicated and unpredictable.
—Outside Online, 26 Aug. 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 6 Sep. 2025.
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