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
Much of the 31-year-old comic’s material revolves around getting by in an increasingly stupid world — half-hearted attempts at self-improvement, if not self-preservation.
—
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Sadly, after about a decade of getting by, the dairy market tanked.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Sadly, after about a decade of getting by, the dairy market tanked.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by
Verb
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His initial coping mechanism was to throw his water bottle in frustration.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Having survived cutbacks and Covid, employees prefer taking Zoom calls at home in their sweat pants rather than coping with traffic or office politics.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Fighting Illini trailed 20-0 before getting on the board late in the first half, but battled fairly evenly after intermission.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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To prevent fungal and bacterial infections, water the money tree at the roots, not from the top, to prevent water from getting on the leaves.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, when the students have difficulty getting along, a cheerleader named Addison (Meg Donnelly) and a zombie named Zed (Milo Manheim) team up to unite them.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Golden retrievers have long been among America's most-popular dog breeds, known for their friendly, easygoing nature, and getting along well with small kids and other canines.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hi hi hello, how is everyone doing this lovely Sunday?—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
26 Oct. 2025
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In Atlanta in 2018, young tight end Austin Hooper learned that Paulsen was also doing scouting reports on tight ends who were upcoming draft prospects for the staff and for his agent.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Someone sent Nicky photos of his wife, Sofia, making out with the problematic Mayor.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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The interaction came days after photos of Trudeau and Perry making out on her yacht were posted.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sapana Grossi, managing partner at the Shah Grossi Law Firm in Los Angeles, represents restaurants and chefs.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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Others joined after a long path in permaculture, with deep experience growing food and managing soil and water.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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