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
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Her group provides services through Zoom and Google Meet to more than 7,000 adults and children coping with stressors such as cancer and chronic pain, as well as with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.—
Holly Dagres,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
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In a way, Stand Up is the love story between those two coping mechanisms.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The ease of getting on and off the 190-guest vessel, combined with walkability to Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and the late departure, made bonus sightseeing possible, something that would have been more challenging on many ocean cruises.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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How long between Kyle saying that Carl was a mess and Lindsay getting on the phone to Uber Eats and pitching some spon-con about his being a mess?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
25 May 2026
Verb
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The former couple is reportedly not getting along at the moment, especially after Hewitt accused Davidson of being a deadbeat dad to their daughter, Scottie Rose.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 May 2026
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Nicholas Elliott Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate your interpreter bona fides is by getting along with a filmmaker who’s notorious for being difficult.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Everybody knows that there’ll be certain parts that are doing okay, but a large part of the society in North Korea is very poor.—
Andrew McNicol,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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In coverage at Barron’s, Paul La Monica notes how Fidelity is probably doing this due to pressure from brokers like Robinhood that don’t have the same usual requirements.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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In the finale, which aired earlier this month, they were caught on camera making out.—
Sarah Hearon,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 May 2026
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With commodities, when geopolitical tensions or inflation fears spike, investors often scramble for upside calls, making out-of-the-money options expensive relative to at-the-money options.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The strategy is being driven by the conviction that the future of AI belongs to autonomous agents capable of executing complex, multi-step tasks — such as booking travel or managing calendars — rather than simply answering queries.—
Amedeo Goria,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
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Appearing on Fox News, Lankford said the nation’s top intelligence post requires a leader with deep experience managing sensitive national security matters and suggested Pulte’s background raises legitimate questions.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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