thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
ˈt͟her-ˌbī
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
… thereby hangs a tale …—William Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After all, the threat of punishing a school for signing a player could have the effect of chilling a market for that player and thereby harm him. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 Aug. 2026 For the first time, Fed officials described the demand generated by AI infrastructure buildouts as something that could continue to drive up prices for tech products and electricity—thereby pushing up inflation. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Forward-thinking organizations are beginning to air-gap their architectures, thereby preserving flexibility as new technologies and regulations unfold. — Pavel Bykov, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Wortham approved the invoices in her role at Amazon, thereby causing Amazon to transfer money into bank accounts that were controlled by Hudson, Wortham and others. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thereby

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereby was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing thereby

Rhymes for thereby

See All Rhymes for thereby

Browse Nearby Words

(there) but for the grace of God (go I)
thereby
thereby hangs a tale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

thereby

adverb
there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
t͟he(ə)r-;
ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī, 
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a tale
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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