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

Here, Lebanon's migrant workers, among those hit hardest by the fighting, have stepped up to support others in their community now struggling to get by.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Vendors at the market are watching their profit margins dwindle and weighing just how much they can raise prices, aware that many of their customers are also struggling to get by.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Economists call it a K-shaped economy: A big segment of the public is driving U.S. growth, while an even larger share of Americans just try to get by.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

LOUSVILLE, Ky. — Trainer Brad Cox will have to get by with two starters in his bid to win his second Kentucky Derby after Fulleffort was scratched Thursday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

“What about its Marines? Could the world get by without its Marines?”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

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