come by

verb

came by; come by; coming by; comes by

transitive verb

: to get possession of : acquire

a good job is hard to come by

intransitive verb

: to make a visit

came by after dinner

Synonyms

• call
• come over
• drop by
• drop in
• pop (in)
• run (over)
• run in
• step in
• stop (by or in)
• visit

Examples of come by in a Sentence

come by after work and I'll give you some clothes for the rummage sale

a literary award like that isn't easy to come by

Recent Examples on the Web

Some lieutenant colonel from troop services with a mustache came by in an old Soviet car to welcome them. —Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024

Oscar nominations are extremely hard to come by, but Golden Globes (having separate comedy and drama categories) and SAG Awards (having both individual and ensemble categories) are a bit easier to crack. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2024

Advertisement The ratings for the Emmy Awards have been battered by audience shifts in an industry that has seen viewing options proliferate in the streaming era, making mass audience hits harder to come by. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2024

Our tester was particularly impressed with the knurling on the handles (a feature that he’s found harder to come by in affordable weights), which provides enough friction to give you a good grip but not so much to irritate your hands. —Zoe Weiner, SELF, 16 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

come by

verb

1

: to make a visit

come by after dinner

2

: acquire

good help is hard to come by