GOT BY Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

got by

verb

past tense of get by

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

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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.

Recent Examples of got by Almirón got by Sporting Kansas City defender Moisés Mosquera with several stop-and-go moves before serving a precise pass to Tomás Jacob for a score in the 13th minute. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026 His single mom, Laura, got by with assistance from the local church and benevolent relatives, including one who bought Warner football cleats. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Cape Verde gave the defending champions a major scare on Friday, forcing extra time before Argentina got by via a late own goal in an epic Round of 32 confrontation. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026 McCarthy drove a liner to center field that got by the diving Mangum and rolled to the wall. — CBS News, 21 June 2026 Sophia Wilson's shot deflected off Isabela and got by Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena in the 63rd minute for the lone goal before the 55,144 fans in Fortaleza. — ABC News, 9 June 2026 Koeninger ripped a ball to center field that got by a diving Zo Palmore scoring Davis to tie the game again, 7-7. — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026 The Last Guest While the Pope couldn’t make it for Colbert’s final show, the host still got by with a little help from a friend. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026 The previous record was the $36 million Saquon Barkley got by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for got by

Verb

For one thing, millennials have coped with a lot of instability and uncertainty in their formative years.

— Adia Harvey Wingfield, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Once out and about, moonwalkers coped with very fine, tiny particles composed of sharp, glassy material.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of coped

Verb

North Crowley’s defense held Aledo 83 total yards and negative 15 rushing yards in the first half, and got on the scoreboard with a 65 yard pick six from sophomore defensive back Braylen Cunningham.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
The 26-year-old is seen as Flick’s dream striker and Deco got on board with the signing.

— James McNicholas, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of got on

Verb

The children were all very close and everyone got along, with their parents remaining amicable even after having divorced, according to Mercer.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
But for the most part Cubs and Sox fans got along and treated each other with mutual respect.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of got along

Verb

The Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and found a potent form of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
This panic is also nothing new; television was supposed to rot our brains, and radio before that, and somehow the republic survived.

— Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of survived

Verb

An upgrade comes with crossover for the 001’s underfoot experience, however, as the midsole is made out of a new Vibram foam compound called Stream Flow that’s 15 percent more resilient and lighter than its predecessor.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
My kids could never get enough of Dinosaur Land, a walk-through theme park with more than 50 life-sized replicas of these beloved prehistoric creatures made out of fiberglass.

— Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of made out

Browse Nearby Words

got back (at)

got by

gotcha

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“Got by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/got%20by. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of got by

verb

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