as in copes
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 gets by
Josh, who wants to be an investigative journalist, is an idealist in a PBS T-shirt (and with a PBS tote bag) who gets by on family money and is incapable of taking care of himself in any practical way.
—
Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Even a guy who normally gets by with just his wallet will appreciate this best-selling bag from Osprey.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
Another entry in our recent deluge of ironic gorefests, Over Your Dead Body doesn’t really give us anything new, although for its first half at least, the picture gets by on some verve and a modicum of intelligence.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
There was also the City Council’s jaw-dropping decision in November to raise the annual fees for the two subsidized valet parking spots every hotel gets by 789% — from $634 to $5,000.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
For example, a saltwater pool can increase the number of daily saves a listing gets by 11%; the same thing goes for an outdoor shower.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
The Bears could have a chance to avenge one of their losses – to Lakeview – in the second round on Monday if Lakeview gets by Kaynor Tech in the first round.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Once Booker gets by him, Alex’s job is just to get the ball at its apex.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
There's not a frame that gets by him.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Even a guy who normally gets by with just his wallet will appreciate this best-selling bag from Osprey.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
Another entry in our recent deluge of ironic gorefests, Over Your Dead Body doesn’t really give us anything new, although for its first half at least, the picture gets by on some verve and a modicum of intelligence.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
There was also the City Council’s jaw-dropping decision in November to raise the annual fees for the two subsidized valet parking spots every hotel gets by 789% — from $634 to $5,000.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
For example, a saltwater pool can increase the number of daily saves a listing gets by 11%; the same thing goes for an outdoor shower.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
The Bears could have a chance to avenge one of their losses – to Lakeview – in the second round on Monday if Lakeview gets by Kaynor Tech in the first round.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Once Booker gets by him, Alex’s job is just to get the ball at its apex.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
There's not a frame that gets by him.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gets by
Verb
-
Gemini copes through logic and distraction, while Pisces feels everything at once.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, Annie as played by Tess Barthélémy copes in two ways with being surrounded by caricaturish oppressors.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Dinner gets on the table faster.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
-
Kyle says a teary good-bye to everyone, gets on a boat, and is let out in the deep blue water, heading back to civilization, heading over each rocking swell, not into the future, but somehow into the past.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Robert is a funny, kind, and sweet boy who gets along well with others and loves to make new friends.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Edwards said the room gets along well and is learning from one another.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Cas9 is the actual machine that does the cutting.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 June 2026
-
To get the true sense of where contemporary art in Florida stands in 2026, the Orlando survey show does just that.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Visitors who drop personal belongings into the water are instructed to notify onsite emergency personnel, who can determine whether recovery is possible, according to Urbia Cataratas, which manages the Brazilian side of the attraction.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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Without congressional action, the fund is now expected to begin depleting by the fourth quarter of 2032, according to a report issued Tuesday by Social Security's trustees, the body that manages the trust fund.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
What kind of web survives the transition The technical question of how AI reads the web is also turning into a question about how the web works when AI is one of its main readers.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
But the best wellness experiences leave something behind that survives re-entry.—
Rachel Ingram,
Robb Report,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gets by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gets%20by. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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