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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Recent Examples of getting by
She’s been there since January, mostly getting by on her own.
—
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, according to a 2019 law, but getting by until then can be hard.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
For those who worked part-time while raising children, or who’ve spent decades just getting by with little chance to save for retirement, old age can hit hard.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
As cold weather continues to slam the South, the stories of how people and animals are getting by continue to filter in.
—Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Magallan said that most day care and child care providers are just getting by.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
For many, that’s the difference between getting by and falling behind.
—Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Despite all this, PG&E seems to be getting by.
—Nick Bowlin, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The Heat’s new-look offense relies on players getting by their defender and into the paint without the help of a screen.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, according to a 2019 law, but getting by until then can be hard.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
For those who worked part-time while raising children, or who’ve spent decades just getting by with little chance to save for retirement, old age can hit hard.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
As cold weather continues to slam the South, the stories of how people and animals are getting by continue to filter in.
—Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Magallan said that most day care and child care providers are just getting by.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
For many, that’s the difference between getting by and falling behind.
—Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Despite all this, PG&E seems to be getting by.
—Nick Bowlin, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The Heat’s new-look offense relies on players getting by their defender and into the paint without the help of a screen.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by
Verb
-
Much of the West has been coping with prolonged drought conditions that are now being worsened by historically low seasonal snowpack and persistent record-breaking temperatures.—
Daniel Manzo,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
As an Iranian American and a university professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, my way of coping is not to deny the harm America has done to my country and region.—
Mehrnoush Soroush,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And really just getting on the board first in these tournaments really matters.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
-
It’s reported that an average $222,222 salary is what players are getting on top of another unique piece of this league – equity.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Shards were there with our cast of Love Story, and everyone’s getting along.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But more recently the two have shown signs of getting along.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In doing so, a supreme intelligence began to emerge.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, Hall put on late-night shows in the basement of his home and became a popular child magician, earning money by doing his routine at ritzy parties and travelling to magic conventions.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Well, Gomez ended up making out with him that very night, his Armani jacket draped casually over her shoulders.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case, citing North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct that prohibit prosecutors from making out-of-court statements on pending cases.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cooking, handling special requests and managing busy environments still depend on people.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate because TSA isn’t actively managing its sites during the shutdown.—
John Raby,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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