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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

Some have managed to get by catching crabs or other types of fish, while others have left the state.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

If companies are able to get by with fewer workers, that threatens the traditional software model that charged based on “seats,” or the number of employees using an offering.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

She eventually found a job at a charity and realised that the only way she could get by was to "do something good here", in Russia.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

"Utility bills are suffocating us. Prices are crushing us. It's very hard to get by."

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

I’ll get by it, keep going through the desert, get out of here.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

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