sit by

phrasal verb

sat by; sitting by; sits by
: to make no effort to stop something bad or unpleasant from happening
I won't sit idly by while he ruins his life!

Examples of sit by in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His parents anxiously sat by Bennett's bedside after he was put on an ECMO machine, which removes carbon dioxide and oxygenates blood to be sent back to the body. Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025 The footage shows a woman sitting by the window seat, leaning toward the wall. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 Chilling security video showed Zarutska sitting by herself with a man seated behind her. David K. Li, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025 Nothing quite compares to the joy of sitting by the beach, breathing in the warm ocean breeze, and basking in the beauty of your surroundings. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sit by

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Cite this Entry

“Sit by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20by. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

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