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 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 McCarthy drove a liner to center field that got by the diving Mangum and rolled to the wall. — ABC News, 20 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 Brunson did attack Harden directly initially and got by him with ease. — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 21 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
  • Hamilton coped best with adapting his driving style around Formula 1's new reliance on battery power to take pole position in qualifying for Saturday's sprint race.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Despite the overwhelming demand for medical services and the shortage of supplies in Venezuela’s public health system, Domingo Luciani Hospital in the capital of Caracas coped with an influx of patients thanks to a flood of donations.
    — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 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
  • With the turnout that Post Malone got on a Wednesday night, Arrowhead better watch out.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Spain finally got on the board after dominating possession and chances thus far.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 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
  • That is 22 more than teams managed in Qatar in 2022 and nine more than in the 2018 tournament in Russia — with the caveat that 36 more games have already been played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Rushdie lost an eye and suffered other life-threatening injuries but managed to survive.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 July 2026
Definition of managed
Verb
  • Crocker, who survived the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, said that at this point an unconditional opening of the Strait of Hormuz to all maritime traffic should be the objective.
    — Monica Haider, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • What survived is a tax that raises little, exempts anyone with a bank account, and concentrates its burden on the sliver of senders least able to route around it.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of survived
Verb
  • Langeliers singled to right center in the third inning and made out as part of a fielder’s choice later in the inning.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • These relaxed-fit capris are made out of an easy-to-wear cotton-blend fabric, with a touch of spandex added for just enough stretch.
    — Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 11 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 21 Jul. 2026.

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