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.
Dine inside or sit by the water to watch the boats come home to Myrtle Grove Marina. Kristy Christiansen, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025 Gomez was seen excitedly sitting by the tree, watching the train. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 The two were first connected by Wexner’s friend Robert Meister, an insurance executive who sat by Epstein once on a plane and struck up a conversation. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2025 While designing the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, in the 1990s, the architect would sit by the river that bifurcates the city, looking at different metal treatments. Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025 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 30 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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