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 briefly stopped in both directions, but cars are now getting by in all lanes.
—
Laura Fay, CBS News, 16 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
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
Laura Fay, CBS News, 16 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by
Verb
-
Job-hopping, or cycling through roles after short stints, has become one coping mechanism.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Crews often found release in rowdiness, camaraderie, practical jokes, and the inevitable coping mechanisms of drink and drugs.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One incident turned into a crowd of people blocking and getting on top of a Metro bus, preventing it from moving and trapping Metro maintenance workers who were inside.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Beepers going off, getting on jets, going here and there, the whole thing, then coming back and spending three or four days writing the script, and then going to the screenings, and then starting it all over again.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 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
-
Even the Altitude Edition with the black wheels -- at the time no one was really doing that.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The authority on gardening in the South loved doing live shows and meeting his fans.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By the end, the vibe had apparently gotten away from him slightly — a couple in the audience was making out.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Number one, across the world, governments have pulled out of managing the economy, managing companies, and let the private sector do the job.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
At a dinner years ago, during his time managing a $1 billion mandate alongside JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, Grantham was administered an elaborate personality test featuring animal avatars.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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