to get by

Examples

• All

• You're not getting by me.

  Tag (2018)

• You got plenty of room to get by me now.

  A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

• You figure no one can get by you here, huh?

  The Bodyguard (1992)

• Just let him get by you.

  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017)

• Now how did he get by us?

  Hollow Man (2000)

• Let me get by though.

  For Now (2019)

• Now, you had to get by them also to continue on your way.

  Fiction book (1991)

• I knew we had the speed if I could just get by him.

  Blog text (6)

• Good luck getting by Dr. Tucker's pit bull of a receptionist.

  Broken Toys (1935)

• Erding is fourth, trying to get by Walkup to reach the finish line first.

Synonyms

P

to pass

vsto get by

∞ 1.0

To move past something or someone

is about moving in front specifically, often with a competitive or physical sense

P

to pass by

vsto get by

165 1.2

Go past someone or something without stopping

implies doing this to get ahead or in front, not merely passing

G

to go by

vsto get by

133 1.0

To move past someone or something

adds a sense of overtaking or moving in front, often competitively

G

to get over

vsto get by

100 3.3

Move across something like a river or mountain

stresses getting ahead or in front rather than just crossing something

R

to run by

vsto get by

84 1.0

To pass close to a person or place while moving quickly on foot

is broader, highlighting moving in front often in competition or effort

W

to walk past

vsto get by

69 1.0

To go past something on foot without stopping

is more about moving ahead of others in a physical or competitive way

S

to slip through

vsto get by

• Informal

58 4.2

Pass through something so it is not noticed or stopped

is instead about reaching a position ahead or in front, often by effort

M

to move around

vsto get by

19 1.3

To go around something to get to the other side

is about moving in front of others, not simply going around obstacles

G

to go past

vsto get by

16 1.0

Move by someone or something without stopping

focuses more on getting ahead or in front in a contest or race

F

to fly by

vsto get by

16 2.2

To move past something while in the air

is similar in passing but focuses on reaching a front position on the ground

P

to push one's way through

vsto get by

4 3.9

Move forward by getting past people or things blocking the way

is about moving in front or ahead, not only about forcing a gap

B

to brush by

vsto get by

3 5.2

To move past a person or thing very close without stopping

focuses instead on getting ahead or in front, not closeness alone

W

to whisk by

vsto get by

1 5.1

Move past someone or something very quickly and smoothly

emphasizes reaching the front or overtaking, often in a physical situation

P

to plough one's way through

vsto get by

• UK

1 7.4

To move forward with difficulty through people or things with effort

focuses more on achieving a forward or in front position, often competitively

P

to push one's way past

vsto get by

• Informal

5.6

Move forward through a crowd by forcing people aside with your body

shares physical effort but is less about aggressive forcing and more about overtaking

Antonyms

B

blocking

18 3.4

Stopping a player from moving by standing in front of them

H

hindering

5.9

Causing delay or blocking progress

How Far Ahead

to leave behind

604 2.6

to overtake

45 3.3

to get by

14 3.2

to pass

∞ 1.0

to slip by

11 3.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology