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

The first step for organizations is thus making employees aware of the risk of sleep deprivation instead of idolizing those who get by with little sleep. —Lieke Ten Brummelhuis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The 71-year-old widow was already struggling to get by on $2,400 a month in Social Security payments. —Shannon Pettypiece, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024

The Substance follows Moore's Elisabeth Sparkle, a once renowned actress who's had to resort to Jane Fonda-style workout videos to get by. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Plenty of people, like me, get by on significantly less for their age, while others require a good bit more. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 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