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

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

From BBC

To get by, they worked jobs washing dishes, delivering messages and moving furniture.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We barely survive. We have just enough to feed ourselves, to get by.”

From Los Angeles Times

Affordability, as in struggling just to get by, is not a pressing issue here.

From Los Angeles Times

The retail sales report reinforced a growing divide in the US economy between higher-earners and those struggling to get by, analysts noted.

From BBC

Related Words

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