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
got by
verb
as in coped
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
- coped
- got on
- got along
- did
- made shift
- managed
- made out
- made do
- survived
- made ends meet
- shifted
- carried on
- fared
- afforded
- eked out
- fended for oneself
- contrived
- lasted
- scraped (by or through)
- scrounged
- scraped (out)
- squeezed
- wrung
- swung
- wrested
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- fell short
- failed
- collapsed
- floundered
- petered (out)
- declined
- slumped
- waned
- gave up
- fizzled