get by

verb

got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by

intransitive verb

1

: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment

2

: to make ends meet : survive

3

: to proceed without being discovered, criticized, or punished

Synonyms

• cope
• do
• fare
• get along
• get on
• make out
• manage
• shift

Examples of get by in a Sentence

working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely

Recent Examples on the Web

Even in the United States, more than 40 percent of us get by without iPhones. —Washington Post, 14 June 2024

Others, like the ant eaters, can get by with the breeze from a fan. —Mark Stevenson and Maria Verza, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2024

Nathan Lane and George Takei got by with a little help from their friends. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 8 June 2024

Just athletes playing for the love of the game and maybe a free college education, often struggling to get by or even feed themselves — even as a single top college football team like the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide can bring in more than $120 million a year. —Bryan Walsh, Vox, 29 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

get by

verb

1

: to make ends meet : manage

2

: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment