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
William ShakespeareExamples of thereby in a Sentence
He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Most other tightening devices use one frequency and can thereby work on only one layer of skin at a time.
—Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 24 Apr. 2026
The backstory South African hotelier Analjit Singh (founder and CEO of the Leeu Collection) bought the hillside property in 2017 thereby launching the latest chapter in its long history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
That means it could get certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an ultralight aircraft by the end of this year, thereby accelerating Volocopter’s long-running efforts to get the VoloCity air taxi to market.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In this setup, the methanol is immediately absorbed by the surrounding water, thereby freezing the reaction and avoiding the degradation step.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thereby
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.
Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 24 Apr. 2026
The backstory South African hotelier Analjit Singh (founder and CEO of the Leeu Collection) bought the hillside property in 2017 thereby launching the latest chapter in its long history.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
That means it could get certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an ultralight aircraft by the end of this year, thereby accelerating Volocopter’s long-running efforts to get the VoloCity air taxi to market.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In this setup, the methanol is immediately absorbed by the surrounding water, thereby freezing the reaction and avoiding the degradation step.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thereby
Cite this Entry
“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
