get by
Britishverb
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to pass; go past or overtake
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informal (intr, adverb) to manage, esp in spite of difficulties
I can get by with little money
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(intr) to be accepted or permitted
that book will never get by the authorities
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Move past, as in There isn't room for this car to get by .
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Manage to succeed or get along; also, barely succeed. For example, He's getting by even though he only works half-time , or If he applied himself, Paul could be getting A's, but instead he's just getting by . [Early 1900s]
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Be unnoticed; also, get approval or pass inspection. For example, I wonder if these errors will get by the proofreader , or He hoped the paint job would get by . [Early 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But then I also think to myself: Well, the reason you go to see a live show is because you’re getting something more than you get by just putting a record on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Leap of Faith” has a country-style lyric of struggles to get by in a “gritty old town,” but the sound more closely resembles cheerful “heartland rock.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
For some of us, it’s just enough to get by with a little help from our daemons.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
So, customers may still decide to call their current provider in order to negotiate a better deal, or ask them to match the offer they could get by switching.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
I washed people’s cars to earn enough money to get by.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
