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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of get by
No wonder so many recent graduates are lighting up social media with posts about the difficulties of finding a job in their field, the crushing burden of paying off big loans, and the increasing inability to get by, much less thrive.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Isbel took third on his hit when the ball got by right fielder Wenceel Pérez for a two-base error.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Herbst chided Williams for having four assistant city managers when prior city managers got by with two.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
For many tenants, paying the rent all at once at the beginning of the month leaves them with no way to get by until the next paycheck arrives.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Isbel took third on his hit when the ball got by right fielder Wenceel Pérez for a two-base error.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
Herbst chided Williams for having four assistant city managers when prior city managers got by with two.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
For many tenants, paying the rent all at once at the beginning of the month leaves them with no way to get by until the next paycheck arrives.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for get by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by
Verb
-
Those struggles can manifest in a range of ways, McClanahan said, from finding new coping mechanisms to replace food to ongoing body image concerns, even after weight loss.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
14 May 2026
-
Hostages found ways to cope with the possibility of being assaulted.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The advantage that Republicans might hope to obtain by this November, could, hypothetically, grow even more if the Democrats did nothing before 2028.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Isn’t that what a team captain would do?—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Audience members who got on the movie’s wavelength were audibly vibing with the narrative, while a majority of others were quick to leave the theater right as the screen cut to black.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
Soon enough, the twins pack their things and get on the road, driving their very cinematic classic car down the backroads of the American South.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The former couple is reportedly not getting along at the moment, especially after Hewitt accused Davidson of being a deadbeat dad to their daughter, Scottie Rose.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
19 May 2026
-
Mary was the sixth child of his first wife, Eliza, who died giving birth to a seventh; Betsy, his second wife, with whom Mary almost never got along, went on to have nine children of her own.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Rescue crews managed to pull 13 survivors from the lake, including a child, while five others were pronounced dead at the scene.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
-
If his film’s fetishized heroine manages to claw her way back out by the end, conquering her daddy issues and taking on the boogeyman, most of us are still stuck down there.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/get%20by. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
