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
In the heartbreaking video, Oreo sits by his food bowl, unsure where to go or what to do.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
An emaciated man sat by a child stretched out semiconscious on a cot, where two other small children were receiving oxygen.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Neighbors behind the Parkville Community Fridge said the pantry, which sits by a community fridge, disappeared between Friday night and Saturday morning.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2025
Samantha sat by the phone for hours, waiting for confirmation that the worst had happened, that Surovtsev had been officially deported.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sit by
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Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
An emaciated man sat by a child stretched out semiconscious on a cot, where two other small children were receiving oxygen.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Neighbors behind the Parkville Community Fridge said the pantry, which sits by a community fridge, disappeared between Friday night and Saturday morning.
—Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2025
Samantha sat by the phone for hours, waiting for confirmation that the worst had happened, that Surovtsev had been officially deported.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 19 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 2025.
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