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
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
But that does indicate that 17 of them got by ok without isoleucine, including one where it was swapped out in 45 different positions along the amino acid chain.
—
ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Trainer Brad Cox will have to get by with two starters in his bid to win his second Kentucky Derby after Fulleffort was scratched Thursday morning.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Adaptability There are shade-tolerant grasses that can get by with only three to four hours of direct sun daily, but no lawn grass grows well in deep shade.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 28 Apr. 2026
Even a guy who normally gets by with just his wallet will appreciate this best-selling bag from Osprey.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
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ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Trainer Brad Cox will have to get by with two starters in his bid to win his second Kentucky Derby after Fulleffort was scratched Thursday morning.
—Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Adaptability There are shade-tolerant grasses that can get by with only three to four hours of direct sun daily, but no lawn grass grows well in deep shade.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 28 Apr. 2026
Even a guy who normally gets by with just his wallet will appreciate this best-selling bag from Osprey.
—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20by. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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