thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
ˈt͟her-ˌbī
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a taleWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
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.
States gained additional representation in Congress and in the Electoral College, thereby entrenching slavery in the national political framework. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 This approach enables companies to tailor marketing strategies and personalize offerings, thereby enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Bitcoin’s rally this week has forced short sellers to buy bitcoin back from the market to close their positions, thereby pushing the price even higher. Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025 Its solution, the Privacy Sandbox, was designed to serve ads based on topics by tracking users’ browser activities in bulk, thereby preventing an advertiser from profiling users individually. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thereby

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereby was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

thereby

adverb
there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
t͟he(ə)r-;
ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī,
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a tale

More from Merriam-Webster on thereby

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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