thereby
Americanadverb
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by that; by means of that.
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in that connection or relation.
Thereby hangs a tale.
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by or near that place.
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Scot. about that number, quantity, or degree.
adverb
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by that means; because of that
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archaic by or near that place; thereabouts
Etymology
Origin of thereby
before 900; Middle English therby, Old English thǣrbī. See there, by
Explanation
The adverb thereby shows cause and effect: "She forgot to tie her shoes, thereby tripping and falling down the stairs." Use thereby to connect two events: because of A, B happened: "Matt walked around with the frying pan on his head, thereby causing him to walk into a wall." Thereby is used in the infamous saying, written by Shakespeare: "And thereby hangs a tale" — a humorous way to let your listeners know they are about to hear an extremely long explanation as to why something happened.
Vocabulary lists containing thereby
Beowulf vocabulary
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5.7: Consequences of Industrialization (Sources 1–7)
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Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reynolds said Kismet had manufactured and supplied kebabs to takeaways and restaurants with labels that indicated a specific quantity of specified meat, which the firm knew to be incorrect, thereby fraudulently misleading customers.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Lenovo’s longstanding relationships with chip makers allow it to secure steady chip and component supplies, thereby keeping up with manufacturing timelines, Yu says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
They are announced one by one, starting from the bottom of the scoreboard -- thereby stretching out the suspense until the very end.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
These shopping tactics help consumers reduce what they pay, thereby lowering the inflation rate.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
They thereby completely changed the ecology of large parts of Australia within a few short millennia.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
