thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
ˈt͟her-ˌbī
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a taleWilliam Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Design can often involve the celebration of indigenous culture and local cuisine, thereby setting the stage for a memorable meal. Roger Sands, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 As of September, Israel appears to be working to eliminate Hezbollah entirely as well as Hamas, thereby permanently changing its balance of power with Iran. Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024 The House of Representatives conducted an ethics investigation around that question and was ready to release its report when Trump gave Gaetz the nod, and Gaetz promptly resigned his seat as a congressman from Florida — thereby potentially squashing the report. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024 The whole point of fast transit programs like BRT is to get more people to ride transit instead of driving, thereby increasing the total human capacity of a road since buses are much more space-efficient than cars. David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thereby 

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereby was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

thereby

adverb
there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
t͟he(ə)r-;
ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī,
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a tale

More from Merriam-Webster on thereby

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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