get by

British  

verb

1. to pass; go past or overtake

2. informal (intr, adverb) to manage, esp in spite of difficulties

   I can get by with little money

3. (intr) to be accepted or permitted

   that book will never get by the authorities

---

get by Idioms  

1. Move past, as in There isn't room for this car to get by .

2. Manage to succeed or get along; also, barely succeed. For example, He's getting by even though he only works half-time , or If he applied himself, Paul could be getting A's, but instead he's just getting by . [Early 1900s]

3. Be unnoticed; also, get approval or pass inspection. For example, I wonder if these errors will get by the proofreader , or He hoped the paint job would get by . [Early 1900s]

---

Example Sentences

The truth was, the business owner was paying herself a small wage to get by having been through a lot of lows.

From BBC

He trained as a bodybuilder and lived with his parents and sisters, working three jobs to help his family get by, according his grandmothers said in the video.

From New York Times

Armoa, even with his three salaries and income from his wife, a teaching assistant, often struggles to get by.

From Reuters

She compared the effect to a garden hose, with the BOAT's jet analogous to the more-intense spray you get by using a constricting nozzle.

From Scientific American

“Even though carwash workers often set up their own rainy day funds, it isn’t enough to help them get by, even in the usual rainy season,” Gonzalez said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cope
• get along
• get on
• prosper
• subsist
• thrive