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

But stock valuations still look very stretched when measured against the effectively risk-free return that investors can get by holding U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

One explanation has been gaining traction, though, and it’s bad news for producers: The world may be figuring out how to get by with less oil.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

You also, crucially, need to know your current Social Security benefit or your projected future benefit, depending on your situation, which you can get by logging in to your online Social Security account.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

The big V6 doesn’t make so much of a stir so it can get by with hydroelastic mounts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

And, besides, we had another rugby game coming up that week, and the team would never be able to get by without Kevin, our winger, and our starting fly half.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

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