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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 That is not the performance of a team getting by on heart. — Sylvana Quader Sinha, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Mexico passed its opening test with flying colors, getting by South Africa 2-0. — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 18 June 2026 Two lanes of traffic are now getting by after the multi-vehicle crash. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 17 June 2026 Even with two incomes, the family is just getting by. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 16 June 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. — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026 Millman, his wife and their teenage daughter are barely getting by on his two part-time jobs, one bagging groceries, the other helping homebound seniors. — Noam N. Levey, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026 Their relationship enters a dramatic new phase when the latter — also single, barely getting by with ambitions to become a writer — gets pregnant after sleeping with her married professor and decides to keep the baby. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026 As Americans are barely getting by because of inflation, tariffs, and a cost-of-living crisis, saving for retirement can feel like the priority lowest on the totem pole. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by

Verb

Work with your care provider on coping strategies, including breathwork, exercise and establishing a routine to help balance the anxious thoughts.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 27 July 2026
Thus, attention that might have been devoted to local coping mechanisms or new business opportunities was peeled away and newly affixed to the Prime Minister and his stalwart scientific advisors.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of coping

Verb

The trailer shows the Harrigans getting on the front foot in their latest war on the streets, with Conrad and Maeve walking brazenly into danger at one point firing at rivals.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 July 2026
From the gratifying casual exchanges being experienced by anyone going to Fan Fest, getting on the KC Streetcar, happening upon visitors in restaurants or attending satellite festivities.

— Vahe Gregorian July 4, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026

Definition of getting on

Verb

Chinese institutions have the capabilities and are doing cutting edge work, said Huang.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
The Red Bull Showrun, a live high-speed motorsports demonstration, will feature Formula 1 cars burning out and doing donuts on a roughly half-mile stretch of Hank Aaron Drive.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of doing

Verb

On July 1, Rodriguez and Hayden were spotted making out at Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin’s White Party, one month after his split from Jaclyn Cordeiro.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Not the family stuff, like Natalie’s spontaneous nipple piercing after making out with Cady’s maybe-daughter, Nevaeh (Malia Pyles), who later murders her own mother after kissing her, for way too long, on the mouth.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of making out

Verb

The traveler is left managing multiple confirmations, while employees may lack a complete picture of the guest’s plans.

— Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
While none of Zero100′s clients had come under attack in the strait, O’Marah said some had decided to avoid that risk by actively managing inventories and rerouting shipments.

— Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 July 2026