get by

verb

got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by

intransitive verb

1

: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment

2

: to make ends meet : survive

3

: to proceed without being discovered, criticized, or punished

Synonyms

• cope
• do
• fare
• get along
• get on
• make out
• manage
• shift

Examples of get by in a Sentence

working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely

Recent Examples on the Web

What’s so perplexing to liberals about this shift is that many of the people who left the Democratic Party are doing well for themselves; these cities are full of small-business owners, factory workers and retirees with pensions getting by under a Democratic president. —Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 26 Oct. 2024

At first, Kelly scrambled to find a personal aide or home health aide but now the family gets by on her husband’s salary with a construction company. —Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

But Owen let the ball get by him, and before the third out was recorded Casey had given up a single, two doubles, and two walks — and four runs as Brooklyn went on to lose its third game. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024

Most are simply too preoccupied with the realities of getting by, Gale Spotted Tail told me. —Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

get by

verb

1

: to make ends meet : manage

2

: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment