Illustration of goby
plural gobies also goby
: any of numerous spiny-finned fishes (family Gobiidae) that usually have the pelvic fins united to form a ventral sucking disk
went by; gone by; going by; goes by
: pass sense 3b
as time goes by
1
a
: to be guided or directed by : act in accordance with
going by the rules
went by what we'd been told
b
: to form an opinion from
You can't go by appearances.
2
: to be known by (a name)
goes by her birth name
goes by an alias
3
: to go (somewhere) especially to see someone
I went by your house yesterday.
Examples of goby in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Researchers said the single specimen may represent a new cryptic species of Ward’s sleeper goby.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
When the market turns, when deals fall apart, when commissions are delayed, when prospects stop returning calls and when months go by without a paycheck, talent alone does not carry you through.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for goby
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Noun
Today, the Erie Canal remains vulnerable to invasive plants, such as water chestnut and hydrilla, and invasive animals such as round goby.
—Christine Keiner, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Researchers said the single specimen may represent a new cryptic species of Ward’s sleeper goby.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
The couple married in 2005, so Melania would have gone by Knauss three years earlier.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 31 Jan. 2026
When the market turns, when deals fall apart, when commissions are delayed, when prospects stop returning calls and when months go by without a paycheck, talent alone does not carry you through.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for goby
Cite this Entry
“Goby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goby. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
goby
noun
go·by
ˈgō-bē 
plural gobies also goby
: any of numerous spiny-finned fishes that often have the pelvic fins united to form a sucking disk
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