to slip by

11 3.8

To go past quickly without anyone noticing, as with time or chances

phrasal verb
/slɪp baɪ/

: dejar pasar

He'd been dreaming, and time had slipped by the way it always seemed to do.
let that opportunity slip by
slip by unnoticed

Nothing slipped by her until one day the news came.

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Examples

Well, perhaps you've allowed opportunities to slip by.

The Night of the Generals (1967)
My days just slip by.

Exotica (1994)
Did anything slip by and not get talked about that should have?

WVFRM Podcast
Did that slip by you?

Vulgar (2002)
So what you have to do is just let it slip by and try not to draw any attention to yourself.

Fiction book (2002)
Neither of us are much given to looking back and the years have slipped by so quickly.

Princes of the Palace - The Royal British Family (2016)
...that I couldn't possibly let this opportunity slip by.

The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)
Sorry I had to send Kyoko to wake you, but I didn't want too much of the day to slip by.

Ex Machina (2015)
Time is slipping by.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
I realized that several chances to improve my skills had slipped by without me even noticing.

Synonyms

to pass

vsto slip by

761 1.0

To spend time doing something

often implies quick or unnoticed movement or missed opportunities rather than general time use

to go by

vsto slip by

268 1.0

For time to pass

is used for quick or unnoticed occurrences rather than neutral time movement

to slip through

vsto slip by

Informal

58 4.2

Pass through something so it is not noticed or stopped

refers to time or missed chances rather than physical escape

to slip away

vsto slip by

32 3.0

For time to pass without anyone noticing

can indicate quick or unnoticed moments rather than slow gradual passing

to fly by

vsto slip by

23 3.3

To seem to pass very quickly, especially time

can also mean unnoticed or missed chances rather than only speed

to elapse

vsto slip by

19 5.1

Time passes without being noticed

is used for quick or unnoticed moments rather than regular steady passage

to pass by

vsto slip by

17 3.0

Go past without being noticed or taken

emphasizes quick or unnoticed movement in time rather than mere being ignored

to fly under the radar

vsto slip by

Informal

9 5.9

To avoid being noticed by other people

is about time passing or missed opportunities rather than deliberate low profile

to slide by

vsto slip by

2 4.2

Time passes smoothly without you noticing

focuses more on quick or missed opportunities than smoothness

to lapse

vsto slip by

1 4.0

To pass, as time between events

often refers to quick or unnoticed moments not necessarily long gaps

to whisk by

vsto slip by

1 5.1

Move past someone or something very quickly and smoothly

is used more for time or chances passing quickly or unnoticed rather than physical motion

to glide by

vsto slip by

1 3.9

Time that passes quickly without you noticing

is used for unnoticed or missed moments rather than smooth movement

to slip under the radar

vsto slip by

Informal

1 6.3

To go unnoticed by people or officials

is used specifically for time or missed chances rather than active avoidance

Antonyms

to seize the opportunity

10 3.9

Act quickly to use a good chance

How Fast

to fly by

23 3.3

to slip by

11 3.8

to rush along

1 2.7

to pass

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

slip by infinitive

slipped by past

slipped by past participle

slipping by present participle

slips by third person singular

Morphology

slip + by

The sense 'to pass quickly or without being noticed' is directly derivable from combining 'slip' (to slide or move quietly) with 'by' (indicating movement past something). This compositional motion + by pattern maps naturally onto temporal or opportunity passage, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Slip by gives a clear picture: imagine someone slips past a guard, or hours moving by on a clock. Because it moves quietly and you may not notice, slip by means 'to pass quickly or without being noticed'.