GOT BY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

got by

verb

past tense of get by

as in coped

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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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 got by Other people threw french fries and chicken bones; the cats got by. — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 On the play before the TD, Bachmeier chased down a bad snap that got by him and was able to throw the ball away to avoid a huge loss. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 Almirón got by Sporting Kansas City defender Moisés Mosquera with several stop-and-go moves before serving a precise pass to Tomás Jacob for a score in the 13th minute. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 His single mom, Laura, got by with assistance from the local church and benevolent relatives, including one who bought Warner football cleats. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Cape Verde gave the defending champions a major scare on Friday, forcing extra time before Argentina got by via a late own goal in an epic Round of 32 confrontation. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 McCarthy drove a liner to center field that got by the diving Mangum and rolled to the wall. — CBS News, 21 June 2026 Koeninger ripped a ball to center field that got by a diving Zo Palmore scoring Davis to tie the game again, 7-7. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026 The Last Guest While the Pope couldn’t make it for Colbert’s final show, the host still got by with a little help from a friend. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for got by

Verb

Kaia recently opened up about how her family coped with her brother’s addiction struggles in a Vogue interview.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026
More recently, consumers have coped with higher gasoline prices and shortages due to Ukrainian drone attacks that knocked out refineries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of coped

Verb

Dunbar got on the scoreboard later in the third quarter when wide receiver Detrick James caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 49-6.

— Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026
The Bulldogs got on the board near the end of the first when Keely Watson ran it in from the 7.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of got on

Verb

Whether that announcement is marriage- or pickleball-related remains to be seen, but not everyone coming back together got along in the Big Brother house, so how does Chen Moonves feel about Jason De Puy and Kamu Kirk being reunited?

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2026
Happily, Yarberry got along well with Doris and her husband, Jon Worrell.

— Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of got along

Verb

Cybersecurity And Functional Safety Are Converging Cybersecurity and functional safety have traditionally been managed as separate disciplines, although today they are increasingly considered part of the same operational risk environment.

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
After the initial disclosure, Acme took several meetings with a mix of studios and filmmakers eager to understand how a project managed to dramatically lower costs.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of managed

Verb

Few of her words survived the torrents of sound in which they were immersed; as with certain Grouper recordings, the lyrics emerged as texture more than syntax.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
While the team survived mostly unscathed, the series is looking different as showrunner Victor Teran takes the helm.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of survived

Verb

Surely it's made out of foam or wood, painted to look like a real axe?

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
The agent’s story peters out at the end; Simon photographs a quilt made out of T-shirts from his many law-enforcement jobs which his girlfriend commissioned for him from Etsy.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of made out

Browse Nearby Words

got back (at)

got by

gotcha

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“Got by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/got%20by. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of got by

verb

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