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
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
See All Example Sentences for get by
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
See All Example Sentences for get by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by
Verb
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As Owens' family awaited the trial, her four children -- Izzy, Isaac, Afrika and Titus -- had to cope with a life without their mother.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Humor plays a vital role in helping older adults, especially, cope with aging and bereavement, according to new research.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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If a friend volunteers input, accept their assistance with gratitude rather than doing everything alone for the best results.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cordova then got on top of the victim and punched him several times in the face and head.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
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Who wouldn’t want to get on board?—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The whole settlement will collapse if townspeople can’t get along.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Surely seventh graders are capable of understanding that people need to get along with one another, rather than living in a constant state of alarm, suspecting that others mean us harm.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And across these two games, England managed just one goal, when Ben White tapped in on Friday.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Officials state the move will place leadership closer to the Western lands the agency manages and improve its mission.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/get%20by. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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