get by with
phr. v..phr. v.. to manage or survive using only a small amount of something, like money or help.
phr. v.. to manage to survive or cope with a limited resource; indicates sufficiency despite scarcity.
I can get by with just a small salad for lunch.
During the power cut, we had to get by with just candles and a battery-powered radio.
While the startup awaited its first round of funding, the founders had to get by with minimal equipment and a skeleton crew.
- Particles
- by with
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- get + by + with + object
the object is usually the resource or tool that is barely sufficient for the task.
contrast with 'get by' (intransitive, meaning to survive generally) to show how 'with' introduces the specific means of survival.
He gets by with to speak little English.He gets by with speaking little English.the preposition 'with' must be followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.