How to Use by virtue of in a Sentence

by virtue of

phrase
  • Trump builds a world, and by virtue of his power and influence, all of us end up living in it in some way or another.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026
  • Finally, lactic acid boasts plumping power by virtue of its humectant properties.
    Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 3 July 2026
  • The exemption owes to the Padres becoming a payer into MLB’s revenue-sharing pool by virtue of evolving into a top-5 fixture in home attendance.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • Anderson’s injury record is slightly worse by virtue of a stress fracture in his back that kept him out for four months in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but over the two subsequent campaigns both have been near-constantly available.
    Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Bellingham sits above his England captain Kane by virtue of having played fewer minutes at the tournament (574 to 627, per FIFA).
    Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • Whether by virtue of personnel, schemes or play-calling, the team that had finished in the top six in NFL scoring the previous six seasons — including leading the league twice — has finished 15th, 15th and 21st the last three years.
    Vahe Gregorian july 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • William Saliba — France/Arsenal (+1) Saliba has been every bit as good as Upamecano at the heart of a France defence that has tightened up in the knockout rounds, and only ranks behind him by virtue of missing one group game.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 13 July 2026
  • Community Development Director Scott Mangum told Pioneer Press short-term rentals have always been prohibited in the village by virtue of their lack of inclusion in Winnetka’s zoning code.
    Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'by virtue of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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