as in copes
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 gets by
That’s around $5 billion, more than eight times the amount collected in fees, and the lead left gets by far the biggest portion.
—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Josh, who wants to be an investigative journalist, is an idealist in a PBS T-shirt (and with a PBS tote bag) who gets by on family money and is incapable of taking care of himself in any practical way.
—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 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
Another entry in our recent deluge of ironic gorefests, Over Your Dead Body doesn’t really give us anything new, although for its first half at least, the picture gets by on some verve and a modicum of intelligence.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
There was also the City Council’s jaw-dropping decision in November to raise the annual fees for the two subsidized valet parking spots every hotel gets by 789% — from $634 to $5,000.
—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
For example, a saltwater pool can increase the number of daily saves a listing gets by 11%; the same thing goes for an outdoor shower.
—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
The Bears could have a chance to avenge one of their losses – to Lakeview – in the second round on Monday if Lakeview gets by Kaynor Tech in the first round.
—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
3 Mar. 2026
Once Booker gets by him, Alex’s job is just to get the ball at its apex.
—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Josh, who wants to be an investigative journalist, is an idealist in a PBS T-shirt (and with a PBS tote bag) who gets by on family money and is incapable of taking care of himself in any practical way.
—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 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
Another entry in our recent deluge of ironic gorefests, Over Your Dead Body doesn’t really give us anything new, although for its first half at least, the picture gets by on some verve and a modicum of intelligence.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
There was also the City Council’s jaw-dropping decision in November to raise the annual fees for the two subsidized valet parking spots every hotel gets by 789% — from $634 to $5,000.
—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
For example, a saltwater pool can increase the number of daily saves a listing gets by 11%; the same thing goes for an outdoor shower.
—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
The Bears could have a chance to avenge one of their losses – to Lakeview – in the second round on Monday if Lakeview gets by Kaynor Tech in the first round.
—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
3 Mar. 2026
Once Booker gets by him, Alex’s job is just to get the ball at its apex.
—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gets by
Verb
-
Hollis buries herself in work in an attempt to escape her complicated grief, while aspiring filmmaker Caroline copes by making snarky remarks and bristling at her mom's efforts to connect.
-
Gemini copes through logic and distraction, while Pisces feels everything at once.
Verb
-
On any other network, in any other circumstance, that show [likely] gets on the air.
-
Dinner gets on the table faster.
Verb
-
After that unfortunate meal, however, the group basically gets along for the rest of the day trip.
-
Who gets along with whom in the British royal family seems to be a daily matter of conversation.
Verb
-
This cozy space does a lot with a little, offering bar seating, booths for larger parties and a few tables for smaller groups.
-
So does Milot Kiros, the DSA Congressional candidate who won in Colorado on Tuesday.
Verb
-
In urban areas, municipal departments run things, while the Texas Department of Public Safety frequently manages highway collisions.
-
The nonprofit public-private partnership manages the municipal district with services that include infrastructure planning, community engagement and more.
Verb
-
Fans recommend the film to one another when hope feels scarce, passing along its core conviction that society survives through connection rather than conquest.
-
My parents’ rescue at Entebbe taught me that freedom survives only because people choose to defend it.
Cite this Entry
“Gets by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gets%20by. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
