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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 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 Herbst chided Williams for having four assistant city managers when prior city managers got by with two. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for got by
  1. coped
  2. did
  3. got on
  4. got along
  5. managed
  6. survived
  7. made out
Verb
  • She’s coped in life by using other people to take care of her in many different ways.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
  • Belgium’s midfield coped despite playing without both Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans, who was lost to injury in pregame warm-ups.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of coped
Verb
  • Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did HUD officials.
    — Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Wisconsin Republicans did the same last year, and similar efforts have been raised in other states.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
Definition of did
Verb
  • Even Vanity Fair got on board, giving the publication a very different audience than usual.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 23 July 2026
  • With the turnout that Post Malone got on a Wednesday night, Arrowhead better watch out.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
Definition of got on
Verb
  • McGonigle, DeBarberie said, was the type of kid who got along with all sorts of crowds.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 July 2026
  • But the Gen-X icons reportedly got along swimmingly and have long referred to each other as husband and wife because of their wedding scene.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Definition of got along
Verb
  • Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski said Burke’s mother, Colleen Burke, managed most of the company’s financial decisions.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026
  • The Japanese international moved to Birmingham last summer for around €9 million, but managed just one goal in 28 appearances in the English Championship.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • Alanna Schermerhorn-Wallace confronted Colt directly about watching her brother’s final moments on surveillance video, while oldest sister Lilianah Ahmed tearfully recalled the agonizing wait to learn whether Mason had survived.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • More recently, a Russian Soyuz rocket survived a lightning strike during a 2019 launch and delivered its payload to orbit.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of survived
Verb
  • Noem’s purchases were largely made out of public view and angered communities that were caught by surprise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Half of her form-fitting gown was crafted from a black silk material, while the other half was made out of sheer black lace featuring a subtle shimmering sheen.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Definition of made out

Browse Nearby Words

got back (at)
got by
gotcha
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Cite this Entry

“Got by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/got%20by. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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