Synonyms of get by

get by

verb

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

• cope
• do
• get on
• get along
• manage
• make do
• make out
• make ends meet
• survive
• make shift
• fare
• shift
• carry on
• afford
• fend for oneself
• eke out
• scrape (by or through)
• last
• scrape (out)
• scrounge
• contrive
• squeeze
• swing
• wring
• wrest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fall short
• fail
• collapse
• decline
• give up
• flounder
• wane
• slump
• fizzle
• peter (out)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of get by

On the other side of the bracket, Vanderbilt would have to get by teams like Notre Dame, Fairfield, Illinois, Ohio State or Illinois. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026

Economists have expressed concern regarding the additional costs of these services, noting the financial risk for those already struggling to get by. —Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026

The actor plays Lou, brutally dumped on her wedding day and struggling to get by as a social media copywriter for a tortilla chip company. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026

The Illini seemingly get out of sync if Keaton Wagler isn’t on his game, while Michigan was able to get by despite Lendeborg’s disappearance on offense. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026