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 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 Sophia Wilson's shot deflected off Isabela and got by Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena in the 63rd minute for the lone goal before the 55,144 fans in Fortaleza. — ABC News, 9 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 The previous record was the $36 million Saquon Barkley got by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 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

The Cowboys got on the board with under five minutes to go in the third quarter on a 43-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brady Barrier to Jamaal Levi to make it 49-7.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
The Sooners got on the scoreboard in the third quarter when Mateer connected with tight end Rocky Beers on a 17-yard touchdown five plays after Stockton threw his first interception of the season.

— Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 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

Kellermeyer is one of a number of companies referenced in lawsuits filed in recent months that accuse funds managed by some of Wall Street’s biggest names of inflating their marks, often to increase their own payouts.

— Ellen DiMauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The hospitality brand holds a 30-year concession to run the lodge, which is part of the Tompkins Conservation project and managed by the National Forestry Agency.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of managed

Verb

The award is named after Justice Albie Sachs, a hero of the anti-apartheid movement who survived imprisonment, exile and an assassination attempt in the fight for equality in South Africa.

— Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
Fiona is survived by her father, Chad, her mother, Kim and her sisters, Mabel and Nixie.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 30 Sep. 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 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of got by

verb

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