GET BY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

get by

verb

Definition of get by next

as in to cope

to meet one's day-to-day needs working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of get by Delivery workers and cab and ride hailing drivers work long hours just to get by, while corporate platforms skim profits from every ride. —

Phara Souffrant Forrest, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026 Feels like offensive line, probably get by with Steen and combo of lane/big Fred, but a big body first-rounder like Proctor from Alabama might be the move? —

Zach Berman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026 As cold weather continues to slam the South, the stories of how people and animals are getting by continue to filter in. —

Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026 Sometimes, those familiar chord changes provide enough sustenance to get by. —

Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for get by

Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by

Verb

So too does Helen, who handles her own feelings about Callie through her own coping mechanisms, some of which work, most of which don’t, and many of which center on building her own friendship with Minnie.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Patients with substance use disorders have often relied on substances as their escape lever from these deeper problems, rather than developing healthier coping mechanisms.

— Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026