live by

phrasal verb

lived by; living by; lives by

1

: to agree with and follow (something, such as a set of beliefs)

He tried to live by his faith.

a principle I try to live by

2

: to survive by (doing something)

They were an ancient people who lived by hunting and gathering.

Examples of live by in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then the neutrino beam at Fermilab is scheduled to go live by 2031, allowing for oscillation measurements. —Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

All four victims had returned to the rental house where Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle lived by 1:45 a.m. Just before noon, the two surviving roommates woke up and had friends come to the home, believing a victim on the second floor had passed out and wasn't waking, the police reported. —Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025

Character requires the ability to consistently live by a set of defining values and principles that shape one’s conduct and judgment. —Mary Crossan, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

The launch will be broadcast live by NASA starting at 3 p.m. EDT. —Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for live by

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify