live by

phrasal verb

lived by; living by; lives by

: 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

: 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

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.

Born in 1919, Jayne has lived by herself for years, family members said. —

Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 Compared with other older adults who live by themselves, people living alone with cognitive impairment are older, more likely to be women, and disproportionately Black or Latino, with lower levels of education, wealth, and homeownership. —

Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024 Musk’s appearance, which was streamed live by the Philadelphia Fox station, as well as on X, comes as Musk has ramped up his support for Trump. —

Ben Goggin, NBC News, 18 Oct. 2024 The vintage watches help ground the show in the 1980s and 1990s, while also serving as a reminder of the brief-but-intense life lived by Senna. —

Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for live by