get by

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   To have just enough money, food, or other things to live, without any extra.

   Grammar: No object; it usually comes after the subject and can be followed by 'on' plus the thing that is just enough: get by on very little.

   Patterns

   • get by on something
   • get by with something
   • get by somehow

   After he lost his job, the family got by on one small salary.

   We don't have much, but we get by.

   She gets by on about twenty dollars a week for food.

2. 2verbintransitive

   To manage to do something or deal with a situation, even though it is difficult.

   Grammar: No object; often used with 'with' before the thing that helps you manage: get by with a little help.

   Patterns

   • get by with something
   • get by without something
   • get by on something

   My French isn't great, but I get by when I travel.

   The team got by without their best player.

   I can get by with a dictionary and a lot of pointing.

3. 3verbintransitive

   To be accepted or noticed without causing trouble, especially when you should not be.

   Grammar: No object; often used about mistakes, bad behavior, or things that are not checked carefully.

   Patterns

   • get by someone
   • get by unnoticed

   The mistake got by the editor and appeared in the final book.

   That kind of behavior won't get by in this school.

   A few errors got by, but most were caught.

Word forms

Common combinations

get by on a small income

They get by on a small income and never complain.

get by with a little help

He got by with a little help from his friends.

get by without a car

In the city, you can get by without a car.

barely get by

After the rent went up, they could barely get by.

get by in a language

I can get by in Spanish for simple conversations.

Synonyms and how they differ

survive

Stronger and more serious; it suggests real danger or hardship, while get by is about ordinary daily managing.

manage

More general and can be transitive ('manage a team'), but for money or daily life it is close to get by.

cope

Focuses on handling a difficult feeling or situation, not on having enough money or resources.

scrape by

Very similar but more informal and suggests even less money or comfort than get by.

Opposites

Word family

get verb

The base verb, meaning to receive, obtain, or become.

go by verb

A different phrasal verb meaning to pass (of time) or to be guided by something.

Commonly confused: get by or get on? get by or get through?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “get by”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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