as in to cope
to meet one's day-to-day needs
working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely
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Recent Examples of get by
Magallan said that most day care and child care providers are just getting by.
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David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
For many, that’s the difference between getting by and falling behind.
—Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
Despite all this, PG&E seems to be getting by.
—Nick Bowlin, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
By considering the way the Large Magellanic Cloud's gravity pulls on the Milky Way and how the gravity of the Triangulum Galaxy pulls on Andromeda, researchers refined how close Andromeda and the Milky Way galaxies will get by running a multitude of simulations.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for get by
Verb
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While stars and filmmakers this season tried to cope candidly with questioners, their impact was nonetheless inhibited by the rigors of Oscar rules.—
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While his Altadena home survived, Mark Franco continues to cope with living in a neighborhood forever changed by the Eaton Fire.—
Verb
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Once that’s done and completely turned off, use a small brush to clean around the disposal and inside it.—
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Warriors coach Steve Kerr spent most of Thursday’s pregame press conference doing his best to downplay multiple reports that Jonathan Kuminga requested a trade away from Golden State.—
Verb
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The two groups got on board to donate cash, and Kala offered to sell 25 of their ukuleles to the school at half price as a way to support the Title One school.—
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In a year dominated by films in which women largely took a supporting role while the men got on with the important stuff, Bronstein’s film looked at the life of an ordinary suburban mom whose life is falling — no, flying — apart.—
Verb
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Kevin Stefanski and Jaxson Dart got along well before last year’s NFL Draft.—
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Reports that the two don’t really get along have been around for a while.—
Verb
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In the past, American capitalism, despite its many faults, had managed to develop a safety net that compensated a little for its exploitations.—
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Ownership also involves financial responsibility, with car insurance playing a role in how people manage and protect their assets.—
Cite this Entry
“Get by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/get%20by. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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