Get By (Verb)
Meaning 1
Pass or move in front of; "Bride's Biscuit got by the other dogs to win the race".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The sprinter got by the defender and scored a touchdown.
- The contestant got by the difficult question with a lucky guess.
- The small boat got by the larger ship and reached the harbor first.
- The driver got by the traffic congestion by taking a detour.
- The cyclist got by the pack of riders and took the lead in the tour.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available; "We got by on just a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The small business got by on a tight budget during the recession.
- They managed to get by on their savings for a few months after losing their jobs.
- During the war, families had to get by on limited food and resources.
- The hikers had to get by on berries and stream water for several days.
- The family of four got by on a small studio apartment while they looked for a bigger place.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
Escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action; "She gets away with murder!"; "I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- He always seems to get by with his tardy arrivals and slack work ethic without getting in trouble.
- The corrupt officials get by with their shady dealings, thanks to their well-placed connections.
- Somehow, she gets by without paying the full price for her reckless behavior.
- He gets by without anyone noticing his lack of effort in the project.
- Bullies often get by with their behavior because no one is willing to stand up to them.