by oneself
idiom
1
: without any help from other people
I shoveled the driveway by myself.
I want you to figure it out by yourself.
2
: with no one or nothing else : alone
The grandmother still lives in the house by herself.
He went to the store by himself.
They toured the city by themselves.
The new law will help, but it can't solve the problem (all) by itself.
Examples of by oneself in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While heavier options may be more durable in the long run, no one wagon is too heavy to operate by oneself.
—
Sara Gaynes Levy, Peoplemag, 21 June 2023
Memorial Drive is an exercise in unshrouding that which has been purposely hidden, whether by history or by oneself.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2020
This is a key distinction in social learning: Imitation is about copying exact physical movement, and emulation is seeing an outcome (for example, a trash-bin opening) and figuring how to get there by oneself.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 22 July 2021
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.
Sara Gaynes Levy, Peoplemag, 21 June 2023
Memorial Drive is an exercise in unshrouding that which has been purposely hidden, whether by history or by oneself.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2020
This is a key distinction in social learning: Imitation is about copying exact physical movement, and emulation is seeing an outcome (for example, a trash-bin opening) and figuring how to get there by oneself.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 22 July 2021
Dictionary Entries Near by oneself
Cite this Entry
“By oneself.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20oneself. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share