GETTING BY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

getting by

verb

present participle of get by

as in coping

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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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 getting by The dark comedy centers on Malina and Viktor, a sister and brother getting by on the fringes of post-Communist Macedonia by pilfering busts of national heroes cast in bronze, along with manhole covers, and selling off the metal. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026 We‑‑there’s a huge amount of the population like just barely getting by. — Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2026 There was Spencer, who was getting by far the most media attention and the most money. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 Acuff went left and went right, getting by Grimes rather easily. — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Only one lane of eastbound traffic was getting by during rush hour as police investigated. — Digital Producer, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 The result, says Roya, is deepening apathy among her fellow citizens, whose preoccupation now is just getting by. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026 That free ticket, obtained by getting by hitting two of six numbers on a previous drawing, is now worth $6 million. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 That is not the performance of a team getting by on heart. — Sylvana Quader Sinha, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by

Verb

Lake County families, like those across the nation, are coping with higher prices for gasoline, groceries, housing and health care.

— Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Harvard Health’s advice on coping with holiday grief suggests adjusting celebrations or starting new rituals when the old ones feel too heavy.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of coping

Verb

So my wife and I are getting on a plane, leaving our three children with a babysitter, and praying war won’t break out and strand us.

— Jonathan Dekel, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
The flight went on as planned, but these men knew my grandfather and heard that his daughters were getting on the plane.

— Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of getting on

Verb

Despite not getting along from the get-go, Lexi and Ridge notice a spark between June and Dan and decide to set them up.

— Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
As the Commander of the crew, my main responsibilities were to make sure the crew was safe, in good health and spirits, getting along well and on top of their work.

— Michaela Musilova, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of getting along

Verb

If the idea of doing surgery on a raw turkey gives you a stress rash, ask your butcher to do it—even at the supermarket.

— Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Even while every utopia contains the seeds of its opposite, so too does any dystopia provide, even briefly or contingently, intimations of a different way of doing things.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of doing

Verb

The overall aim is to reduce the time spent managing cleaning equipment and increase the amount of time a pool is ready for use.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
The approach could offer military units greater flexibility in managing ammunition supplies, particularly when operating drones that require different payload configurations.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026