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• go-by
  go-by

  noun

  a going by without notice; an intentional passing by; snub.
• go by
  go by

  verb

  to pass

go-by

American  

[goh-bahy] / ˈgoʊˌbaɪ /

noun

Informal.

1. a going by without notice; an intentional passing by; snub.

   to give one the go-by.

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go by ¹ British  

verb

1. to pass

   the cars went by

   as the years go by we all get older

   don't let those opportunities go by!

2. (preposition) to be guided by

   in the darkness we could only go by the stars

3. (preposition) to use as a basis for forming an opinion or judgment

   it's wise not to go only by appearances

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go-by ² British  

noun

1. slang a deliberate snub or slight (esp in the phrase give ( a person ) the go-by )

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go by Idioms  

1. Elapse, pass, as in the popular song, “As Time Goes By” (by Herman Hupfeld, 1931), or He just went by our house . [c. 1600]

2. Ignore, fail to notice or take advantage of, as in You shouldn't let this opportunity go by . [Early 1500s] For the related go by the board , see by the board .

3. Rely on, believe, as in I'm going by the numbers on this list , or We'll have to go by what she tells us .

4. go by the name of . Be known by or use a specific name. For example, She continued to go by her maiden name, Mary Smith . [Late 1500s]

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Etymology

Origin of go-by

First recorded in 1605–15; noun use of verb phrase go by

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

go-by go by

Competitors too cried hoarse saying Uber had been giving the go-by to background checks on the drivers it aggregated through its service.

From Forbes ● Dec. 8, 2014

I says what else do you expect except every dam drummer and cheap show that comes to town because even these town jellybeans give her the go-by now.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

Again the flesh of the arctic fox is eaten as readily as that of the hare or white partridge; all other foxes are carrion; even a starving Indian would give them the go-by.

From Canadian Wilds Tells About the Hudson's Bay Company, Northern Indians and Their Modes of Hunting, Trapping, Etc. by Martin Hunter

Let us defy the "they-says," and as for those whose shibboleth is, "I have it upon good authority," we will give them the go-by.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 120, October, 1867. by Various

Trouble was, them young clothes stood for all she dreamt of—give them dreams the go-by, and the race was lost for poor Miss Hitty.

From Plain Mary Smith A Romance of Red Saunders by Henry Wallace Phillips

There might be fewer people guessing who he is these days - but if EsDeeKid's only UK festival appearance this summer is anything to go by, no-one seems to care.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

With the blink of an eye, years go by so fast covering high school athletes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Paying taxes on the current income isn’t fun, but at least but this will lower your accumulated capital gains as the years go by, making selling decisions easier.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

In a statement Monday, Porsche said the 5,000 jobs would go by 2035, in addition to the 3,900 it had already planned to cut by 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

When he saw me choke up, he added, “Time will go by fast, you’ll see.”

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez