sit by

verb

sat by; sitting by; sits by
: to make no effort to stop something bad or unpleasant from happening
I won't sit idly by while he ruins his life!

Examples of sit by in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Foxx sat at the piano while his daughter sat by his side on guitar, proving she's inherited some of his musical talents. Meg Walters, InStyle, 29 June 2026 That afternoon, David Peterson sat by himself at a circular table inside American Family Field’s visiting clubhouse, preparing for his first start as a Cub, studying the opponent with an electronic tablet and a yellow legal pad. Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 28 June 2026 One of my favorite parts of the stay was sitting by the firepits, which were lit on the Straits Lawn every evening. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 June 2026 During his lunch breaks, Itzkowitz enjoyed coming to Kissena park and sitting by the lake, his son said. Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sit by

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sit by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20by. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster