# come by

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/come-by
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to find or get something that is hard to find or rare.

For teachers: to obtain or acquire something, especially when the item is scarce or the process requires effort or chance.

## Examples

- Good jobs are hard to come by these days.
- How did you come by such a rare first edition of that book?
- In a market saturated with cheap imitations, authentic handcrafted furniture is increasingly difficult to come by for the average consumer.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Where did you come by to that money?" but "Where did you come by that money?" — the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.

## Usage notes

- usually used in the passive-like 'hard to come by' or as a transitive verb meaning 'to obtain'.
- Teaching tip: focus on the 'rarity' aspect; we don't 'come by' milk at the supermarket, but we might 'come by' a vintage watch at a flea market.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.