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
Before becoming a big sister, the video shows 18-month-old Betty the black Labrador sitting by herself in the garden and waiting for someone to play fetch with her.
—
Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
If the garage door is open, sit by it to catch the sun’s warmth without overheating.
—Tamia Boyd, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
As Gugu sat by, Qing Yuan was told that an imbalance in his yin and yang had created too much yin qi in him.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Another, who was familiar with Graeter’s commented that the creamery could do no wrong and suggested hot caramel to create the ultimate fall dessert for sitting by a fire on a chilly night.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sit by
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Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
If the garage door is open, sit by it to catch the sun’s warmth without overheating.
—Tamia Boyd, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
As Gugu sat by, Qing Yuan was told that an imbalance in his yin and yang had created too much yin qi in him.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Another, who was familiar with Graeter’s commented that the creamery could do no wrong and suggested hot caramel to create the ultimate fall dessert for sitting by a fire on a chilly night.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sit by
Cite this Entry
“Sit by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20by. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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