12 Phrasal verbs with BY

12 Useful Phrasal Verbs with BY (with Clear Meanings & Examples)

Hello, English learners! Welcome to a new lesson.

Phrasal verbs with by are extremely common in everyday English. They often express ideas such as time passing, following rules, supporting someone, or visiting briefly. You’ll hear them in conversations, read them in articles, and use them naturally in both spoken and written English.

In today’s lesson, we’ll explore 12 essential phrasal verbs with BY, with clear meanings and natural example sentences to help you remember and use them confidently.

Let’s take them one by one.

Abide by

Meaning: to accept and follow a rule, decision, or agreement.

• All members of the club must abide by the rules.

• If you make a promise, you should abide by it.

Common in formal English, rules, laws, and agreements.

Come by

Meaning: to visit someone casually or briefly.

• Peter’s friends came by when he returned from hospital.

• My neighbour came by to check on our sick cat.

Very similar in meaning to drop by, and often used in friendly conversation.

Drag by

Meaning: to pass very slowly (usually time).

• The long winter days dragged by endlessly.

• Time seemed to drag by while she waited for the results.

Often used when someone feels bored, impatient, or unhappy.

Drop by

Meaning: to pay a short, informal visit to someone or somewhere.

• Will you drop by after work? I want to show you our newborn kittens.

• We dropped by Jane Austen’s house while we were in Bath.

One of the most common phrasal verbs for casual visits.

Flash by

Meaning: to move or pass extremely quickly.

• Cars were flashing by on the motorway.

• The weekend flashed by, and suddenly it was Monday again.

Often used with time, vehicles, or fast movement.

Get by

Meaning: to manage or survive, especially with difficulty.

• Many families struggled to get by during the economic crisis.

• We don’t earn much, but we manage to get by.

Very common when talking about money, work, or daily life.

Go by

Meaning 1: to move past in space or time.

• He sat on the bench watching people go by.

• The years seem to go by faster as you get older.

Meaning 2: to be guided by rules, standards, or principles.

• In this school, everything must go by the rules.

Extremely versatile and frequently used.

Live by

Meaning: to shape your life around certain rules, beliefs, or values.

• She tries to live by her values, even when it isn’t easy.

• The villagers still live by old traditions passed down through generations.

We usually use live by when talking about values, morals, or personal principles.

Put by

Meaning: to save a small amount of money over time, usually for something specific.

• We put by a little money each month for holidays.

• If I put by a few pounds every week, I’ll be able to buy a new bike.

This expression sounds very natural in British English, especially in everyday speech.

Sit by

Meaning: to choose not to act while something bad is happening.

• We can’t just sit by and watch him ruin his future.

• People refused to sit by while injustice continued.

This verb is often used in emotional or serious situations, especially when action is expected.

Stand by

Meaning: to stay loyal to someone and support them, especially in difficult times.

• Her parents stood by her throughout the trial.

• He stood by me when everything started to fall apart.

Stand by strongly suggests loyalty, trust, and personal support.

Stick by

Meaning 1: to remain loyal or supportive.

• The party stuck by its members during the crisis.

Meaning 2: to continue doing what you planned or promised.

• If you stick by your diet, you’ll see results.

Very common in both personal and professional English.

Many phrasal verbs with by are connected to the idea of closeness, support, or time passing. Learning them as a group makes them easier to remember — and easier to use naturally.

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