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

From housing to basic utilities, the cost of getting by for the hardworking families of Arizona’s Second Congressional District continues to outpace increases in wages or the Social Security that our elders rely on. —Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 9 Sep. 2024

Here was the gist of the pitch: LaVine could be gotten by simply matching the money he’s owed, getting the Bulls out from underneath a contract that’s likely going to last until 2027 and cost the team $138 million. —Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2024

What Federici proposes is less a blueprint for a utopian alternative society than an escape route from the solitary grind of getting by. —Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024

Instead, there’s a certain stubbornness to this show’s insistence on trying to get by on sheer nerve, its refusal to try anything beyond the realm of physical comedy (through which Foster will try everything). —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 Aug. 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