as in coping
to meet one's day-to-day needs
working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of getting by
That is not the performance of a team getting by on heart.
—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Mexico passed its opening test with flying colors, getting by South Africa 2-0.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
Two lanes of traffic are now getting by after the multi-vehicle crash.
—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Even with two incomes, the family is just getting by.
—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, according to a 2019 law, but getting by until then can be hard.
—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Millman, his wife and their teenage daughter are barely getting by on his two part-time jobs, one bagging groceries, the other helping homebound seniors.
—
Noam N. Levey,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Their relationship enters a dramatic new phase when the latter — also single, barely getting by with ambitions to become a writer — gets pregnant after sleeping with her married professor and decides to keep the baby.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
As Americans are barely getting by because of inflation, tariffs, and a cost-of-living crisis, saving for retirement can feel like the priority lowest on the totem pole.
—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Mexico passed its opening test with flying colors, getting by South Africa 2-0.
—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
18 June 2026
Two lanes of traffic are now getting by after the multi-vehicle crash.
—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Even with two incomes, the family is just getting by.
—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Federal employees are guaranteed to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, according to a 2019 law, but getting by until then can be hard.
—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Millman, his wife and their teenage daughter are barely getting by on his two part-time jobs, one bagging groceries, the other helping homebound seniors.
—
Noam N. Levey,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Their relationship enters a dramatic new phase when the latter — also single, barely getting by with ambitions to become a writer — gets pregnant after sleeping with her married professor and decides to keep the baby.
—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
As Americans are barely getting by because of inflation, tariffs, and a cost-of-living crisis, saving for retirement can feel like the priority lowest on the totem pole.
—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for getting by
Verb
-
That was my only coping mechanism for that level of fear and sadness was drugs.
-
In many cases, Kallis said, the roots of this behavior were planted long before, frequently through trauma, abuse, isolation, addiction or distorted coping mechanisms that were never confronted or healed.
Verb
-
From the gratifying casual exchanges being experienced by anyone going to Fan Fest, getting on the KC Streetcar, happening upon visitors in restaurants or attending satellite festivities.
-
In general, Ocasio-Cortez has been cautious with her endorsement strategy and, with a handful of exceptions, has stayed away from getting on the wrong side of Democratic leadership in Washington.
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.
-
Nicholas Elliott Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate your interpreter bona fides is by getting along with a filmmaker who’s notorious for being difficult.
Verb
-
The young man was doing LeBron James’ silencer celebration after scoring a goal one moment and being tagged with soccer’s equivalent of a Flagrant 2 the next — because of how one moment was assessed on tape delay.
-
The city’s police department will be doing safety checks in the area as well.
Verb
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Not the family stuff, like Natalie’s spontaneous nipple piercing after making out with Cady’s maybe-daughter, Nevaeh (Malia Pyles), who later murders her own mother after kissing her, for way too long, on the mouth.
-
The finale concluded on an uncomfortable cliffhanger between Benny and Carmen, as the former walked in on the latter making out with his crush Miles (Rish Shah), leading to an unexpected confrontation in which Benny is accidentally outed to his sister.
Verb
-
Portugal’s biggest warning sign came in their final clash, with Colombia managing 24 shots on goal — their most recorded in a World Cup game.
-
There’s less enthusiasm for FIFA’s role in managing the World Cup.
Cite this Entry
“Getting by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/getting%20by. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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