as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely
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Recent Examples of get by
The former mining equipment operator and truck driver now gets by on a few hours a week as a security guard.
—
Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The film follows an Anna Wintour-like fashion media mogul (Meryl Streep) who tests the grit of a plucky young assistant (Anne Hathaway), who gets by with a little help from friends like Nigel, the fictional magazine's witty art director.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2025
The bad Santas take Sherry as a hostage, though, and use her as a human shield to get by the cops who’ve arrived on the scene.
—Mark Meszoros, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025
Kentucky is the 17th ranked team in the nation, and will look to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a deep run through the SEC Tournament, but will have to get by an Oklahoma team that has their backs against the wall.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get by
Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
The film follows an Anna Wintour-like fashion media mogul (Meryl Streep) who tests the grit of a plucky young assistant (Anne Hathaway), who gets by with a little help from friends like Nigel, the fictional magazine's witty art director.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2025
The bad Santas take Sherry as a hostage, though, and use her as a human shield to get by the cops who’ve arrived on the scene.
—Mark Meszoros, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025
Kentucky is the 17th ranked team in the nation, and will look to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a deep run through the SEC Tournament, but will have to get by an Oklahoma team that has their backs against the wall.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by
Verb
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The class encompasses information about exercises to prepare the mother for birth, relaxation and coping techniques, pain control options, labor positioning, induction and C-section basics, recovery and welcoming baby.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2025
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What is grief if not living in the liminal space between mourning and coping, of life and death itself?—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No matter your best intentions, the fact remains that styles change, as do our tastes.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
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They’re more geared toward controlling it, with uniform requirements that do more to hinder progress than protect the marketplace.—
Mary Anna Mancuso,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There are lots of technological roadblocks stopping artificially intelligent cars from getting on the road.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Apr. 2025
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Before this series, the two got on the phone earlier this week.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Amazing how well business people get along with one another!—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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Sources say the actresses got along well during production, and things only got awkward during the run-up to release.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Advice for other state leaders on managing this moment in the energy revolution?—
Joan Michelson,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Learning to manage stress—through mindfulness, meditation, or simply taking breaks—has been crucial for managing my condition.—
Edward Taguba,
Health,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/get%20by. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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