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
Traffic was getting by only on the far right side.
—
Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 27 Apr. 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
She’s been there since January, mostly getting by on her own.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 25 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
Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 27 Apr. 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
She’s been there since January, mostly getting by on her own.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 25 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by
Verb
-
It’s been a tough week for Braves fans and the Braves organization, coping with the deaths of former team owner Ted Turner on Wednesday, then legendary manager Bobby Cox on Saturday.—
AJC Sports,
AJC.com,
9 May 2026
-
Instead, there is coping and emotional growth for these figures, who, in the third act, provide their elders with an opportunity to come to terms with their own preoccupations and pasts.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The public ferry contains a ramp, but wheelchair users arriving by the small guest-only boats will need assistance getting on and off.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
That offense, timely hitting, finding ways to score runs, whether that’s the long ball or walks, getting on base and driving them in.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
In this sketch, a group of women worries about whether their husbands in the other room are getting along.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Just two co-stars getting along.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our desire to see each other can remain the same but the means of doing so have to be flexible.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
Just a wonderful man that teaches you lessons, teaches you camaraderie, unity, doing things as a unit, that no one’s different.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
After a few minutes, your eyes gradually adjust, and the performers, the maybe-lovers, come into view, flesh on the ground, writhing and making out and embracing.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
-
That means skateboarding, sneaking beers, making out, looking for trouble, running from trouble and, to judge from the trailer, floating through space.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Researchers around the world continue to face difficulties in managing millions of qubits reliably, leading many companies and laboratories to prioritize more achievable near-term applications using systems built with dozens or hundreds of qubits instead of massive large-scale architectures.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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