Phrasal verb
get by on
Definition
phrasal verb. to have just enough of something, like money or sleep, to survive or finish a task.
phrasal verb. to manage or survive with a limited amount of a specific resource; typically used with money, sleep, or food.
Examples
“I can get by on five hours of sleep.”
“When he was a student, he had to get by on a very small budget every month.”
“The small non-profit organization managed to get by on private donations and local grants for nearly a decade before securing government funding.”
Examples
simple
“I can get by on five hours of sleep.”
contextual
“When he was a student, he had to get by on a very small budget every month.”
complex
“The small non-profit organization managed to get by on private donations and local grants for nearly a decade before securing government funding.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun representing the resource being used.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'get by' (used without an object to mean 'manage generally') to show how 'on' introduces the specific means of survival.
Pitfall
He gets by on with very little money.
He gets by on very little money.
the preposition 'on' already connects the verb to the resource; adding 'with' is redundant and incorrect.
Phrasal verb
Particles
by on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + by + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/get-by-on