get by
verb
got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by
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
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
Instacart’s Super Bowl commercial gets by with a little help from some friends.
—
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Perhaps the Dolphins could get by next season with a cheap combination of Dodson and Walker opposite Brooks.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025
Although most overseas Premier League players who enrol on lessons will be able to speak English well enough within a year or two of signing to be able to get by, the majority never sit the UK language test that could extend their 12-month international sportsperson visa to three years.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025
But this more muted tone is appropriate for a grim, gripping story of desperate crooks just trying to get by — and a plot in which the deck is ultimately stacked against our antiheroes.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for get by 
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Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Perhaps the Dolphins could get by next season with a cheap combination of Dodson and Walker opposite Brooks.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025
Although most overseas Premier League players who enrol on lessons will be able to speak English well enough within a year or two of signing to be able to get by, the majority never sit the UK language test that could extend their 12-month international sportsperson visa to three years.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 5 Feb. 2025
But this more muted tone is appropriate for a grim, gripping story of desperate crooks just trying to get by — and a plot in which the deck is ultimately stacked against our antiheroes.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for get by
Dictionary Entries Near get by
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20by. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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