to get by
20
3.9
- phrasal verb
- /ɡɛt baɪ/
- Informal
:
salirse con la suya
- Only America would let a person get by with that.
- let this get by
- enough to get by
- able to get by
Examples
-
- Nothing gets by you.
-
Todd couldn't be allowed to get by with something this big.
Fiction book (2000) -
Nothing gets by me, boss.
-
With so many laws, how can businesses get by without lawyers to advise them?
Blog text (19) -
But you won't get by that way.
-
You just wait, you won't get by with your insults.
-
That's why the Bears believe they can get by without Cutler, at least for now.
Blog text (31) -
The IMF, on the other hand, wished to ensure that debtors would not get by without making appropriate adjustments.
Academic text (1994) -
He managed to get by without getting caught after committing the theft.
-
She found a way to get by the security checks at the entrance.
Synonyms
786
4.1
To avoid being punished for something you did wrong
672
3.5
To escape punishment for doing something wrong
462
3.8
Avoid doing a task or taking blame you should accept
263
1.4
To avoid being harmed or affected by something unpleasant
234
3.4
Escape blame or punishment for doing something wrong
191
4.4
To go without comment or challenge
170
6.0
To avoid punishment for a crime or charge
115
4.2
Avoid doing something difficult or needed by finding a clever way
45
7.7
To avoid a rule or problem by using clever tricks
Antonyms
- Informal
13
6.7
To receive punishment or bad results for doing wrong
How Safe
48
3.2
672
3.5
- Informal
20
3.9
77
1.1
5
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to pass or move in front of someone or something' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'get' (move/arrive) with 'by' (past/near), yielding the compositional sense 'move past.' This verb + preposition pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer this meaning.
Etymology
Get by in this sense feels like slipping past a guard: someone gives a weak excuse and gets past the rules by not being noticed. That's why it means 'avoid being caught'.