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
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Recent Examples of get by
Isbel took third on his hit when the ball got by right fielder Wenceel Pérez for a two-base error.
—
ABC News, 8 May 2026
Herbst chided Williams for having four assistant city managers when prior city managers got by with two.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
For many tenants, paying the rent all at once at the beginning of the month leaves them with no way to get by until the next paycheck arrives.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Carolina got by in the first round despite that trio only combining for one five-on-five point in four games.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
ABC News, 8 May 2026
Herbst chided Williams for having four assistant city managers when prior city managers got by with two.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
For many tenants, paying the rent all at once at the beginning of the month leaves them with no way to get by until the next paycheck arrives.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Carolina got by in the first round despite that trio only combining for one five-on-five point in four games.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by
Verb
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In real space travel, however, or for anyone living off-world long term, coping with cosmic and solar radiation would be one of the most crucial considerations for survival.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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However, some people use dark humor to cope with tragedy or fears surrounding a health crisis, and still exhibit emotional intelligence or empathy in their interpersonal relationships or other parts of their lives.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Should Congress do more to hold the president accountable?—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Wins and losses in this league for starters are highly dependent on a lot of other guys doing their jobs as well.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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If water from the dishwashing process gets on your countertops or any surface, make sure to clean these with a sanitizing product or bleach solution.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
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Mantello recalled getting on the subway and not opening the bag.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Plants to Avoid Planting With Marigolds While marigolds get along with almost every plant in the garden and are seen as a top companion plant for flowers, herbs, and vegetables alike, there are a few plants to avoid planting near marigolds.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
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Apple goes along to get along Tim Cook generally seems keen to avoid expressing anything that might be perceived as a personal opinion in public.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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The Bruins managed to keep it tight through the end of the first, with the Sabres taking that 1-0 lead into the first intermission.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/get%20by. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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