get by
verb
got by; got by or gotten by; getting by; gets by
intransitive verb
1
: to succeed with the least possible effort or accomplishment
2
: to make ends meet : survive
3
: to proceed without being discovered, criticized, or punished
Synonyms
- cope
- do
- fare
- get along
- get on
- make out
- manage
- shift
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
working at night paid my college tuition and enabled me to get by—but just barely
Word History
First Known Use
1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1
get by
verb
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- cope
- get on
- get along
- do
- make shift
- make out
- make do
- manage
- survive
- make ends meet
- fare
- shift
- carry on
- afford
- fend for oneself
- eke out
- last
- scrounge
- contrive
- scrape (by or through)
- squeeze
- scrape (out)
- swing
- wring
- wrest
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fall short
- fail
- collapse
- decline
- give up
- flounder
- slump
- wane
- fizzle
- peter (out)