sit by

phrasal 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.
And everywhere, Americans sat by television sets, watching again and again the videotape of the spectacular breakup of the nation’s showpiece of space technology. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026 And the world sits by and says and does almost nothing. Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026 Less than a minute into the video, as the singer sits by herself in the middle of the desert, the camera suddenly flashes to Blue, who is wearing a dress nearly identical to her mom's gown. Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026 Illuminated by the late afternoon sun that streamed through the skylight, the Kokun walked over and sat by her bed. Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sit by

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Cite this Entry

“Sit by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20by. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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