get by

British  

verb

1. to pass; go past or overtake

2. informal (intr, adverb) to manage, esp in spite of difficulties

   I can get by with little money

3. (intr) to be accepted or permitted

   that book will never get by the authorities

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get by Idioms  

1. Move past, as in There isn't room for this car to get by .

2. 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]

3. 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]

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Example Sentences

Those who have relied on generators to get by will have a hard time running them without access to fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wallace lives alone and said he can get by on savings and Social Security, but he wants extra income to pay for things like trips, presents for grandchildren and the occasional date.

From The Wall Street Journal

He also denied falling asleep at recent White House events and said he has always gotten by on little sleep.

From The Wall Street Journal

Without decent parental leave, she says, there is a risk that parents are forced to "juggle" work with childcare, or simply get by on a lower income.

From BBC

After Brittany Gibson’s father was injured rescuing fellow miners in the deadly Upper Big Branch mine explosion of 2010, her family struggled to get by.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cope
• get along
• get on
• prosper
• subsist
• thrive