thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī 

ˈt͟her-ˌbī

1

: by that : by that means

thereby lost her chance to win

2

: connected with or with reference to that

… thereby hangs a tale …

—William Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.

Recent Examples on the Web

This already happens at very early stages, as the neurological responses of a baby become forms of communication with their parents—and thereby begin to transform into meaningful emotions. —Maria Balaska, Time, 23 Nov. 2025

Kaminski was hoping to use the session as an opportunity to encourage the Senate to allocate more money to the TWC’s subsidy program and thereby shorten its 95,000-child wait list. —Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025

Nerves and blood vessels could therefore be targets for novel drugs to slow ovarian aging, Laird says, thereby delaying menopause. —Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 21 Nov. 2025

This transformative journey will usher in a profound societal shift, breaking the link between beauty and youth, thereby liberating new and unexpected expressions of beauty not confined by time. —Jenny B. Fine, Footwear News, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing thereby

• thereby hangs a tale

Rhymes for thereby

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī 

t͟he(ə)r-;

ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī, 

ˈt͟he(ə)r-

1

: by that : by that means

thereby lost her chance to win

2

: connected with or with reference to that

thereby hangs a tale