come by

verb

came by; come by; coming by; comes by

transitive verb

: to get possession of : acquire

a good job is hard to come by

intransitive verb

: to make a visit

came by after dinner

Synonyms

• call
• come over
• drop by
• drop in
• pop (in)
• run (over)
• run in
• step in
• stop (by or in)
• visit

Examples of come by in a Sentence

come by after work and I'll give you some clothes for the rummage sale

a literary award like that isn't easy to come by

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the past two decades, Dorje Chang’s American following has grown, though accurate figures are hard to come by. —Joseph Bien-Kahn, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024

Now more than ever, teams are valuing their talented players so deals are harder to come by. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

The region is a particularly beloved holiday destination of the Dubai royal family, who come by private jet to shoot lions and other wildlife in their own private game reserve. —Kizito Makoye, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2024

Jobs are harder to come by in states such as West Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana, Kentucky, and Alaska, according to WalletHub. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

come by

verb

1

: to make a visit

come by after dinner

2

: acquire

good help is hard to come by