by
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by (oneself)
1. Alone. Because there's usually so much going on with the kids, I really enjoy spending a quiet Saturday night by myself. A: "I'm impressed that you went to the baseball game by yourself." B: "Well, what was I supposed to do? No one wanted to go with me!" Most of the kids are ff playing outside—who's the boy sitting by himself in front of the TV?
2. Through one's own efforts alone. You can't move that table all by yourself! Here, let me help you. My little girl loves to get dressed by herself, so tutus and cowboy boots have become the norm around here. Pete managed to disassemble their washing machine, fix the leak, and then reassemble it all by himself? Wow, I had no idea he was so handy!
See also: by
by fits and starts
In short, inconsistent, and irregular intervals, as of motion or progress. The car was almost completely broken down, but, by fits and starts, we were able to get it to a mechanic. A: "How's the essay coming along?" B: "Oh, by fits and starts." A: "Why is your suitcase still half empty?" B: "Don't worry, I'll be ready in time—I just pack by fits and starts."
by virtue of (something)
Due to something; because of something; by reason of something. By virtue of your years of hard work and experience, we think you would be well-suited to a managerial role. I know that you feel the need to intervene by virtue of your role as a father, but you need to allow your children a greater degree of independence. The judge ruled that the tech company was installing spyware by virtue of the fact that users were never warned that their information was being collected.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
by
/in fits and starts With irregular intervals of action and inaction; intermittently.
by
/in virtue of On the grounds or basis of; by reason of: well-off by virtue of a large inheritance.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
- (all) done by mirrors
- (all) done by smoke and mirrors
- (I'm) (so) glad you could drop by
- (I'm/We're) (so) glad you could stop by
- (that's) fine by me
- (that's) OK by me
- (whether) by accident or design
- a blow-by-blow account
- a blow-by-blow account, description, etc.
- a blow-by-blow description
- a camel is a horse designed by a committee
- a camel is a horse made by a committee
- a good time was had by all
- a man is judged by his deeds, not by his words
- a man is judged by the company he keeps
- a man is known by the company he keeps
- a rose by any other name
- a rose by any other name (would smell as sweet)
- a tiger by the tail
- a tree is known by its fruit(, a man by his deeds)
- abide by
- abide by a decision
- accompanied by
- accompanied by (someone or something)
- according to all accounts
- all by (one's) lonesome
- all by lonesome
- all cats are gray by night
- all right with one
- baptism by fire
- be absorbed by (something)
- be bitten by the bug
- be bitten by/have the bug
- be blown away
- be blown away by something
- be brought to task (by someone)
- be conspicuous by (one's)/its absence
- be devoured by (something)
- be devoured by something
- be hanging on by (one's) fingertips
- be hanging on by your fingertips
- be hard done-by
- be hard hit (by something)
- be hoist by (one's) own petard
- be hoist/hoisted by/with your own petard
- be hounded (by someone or something)
- be made conspicuous by (one's)/(something's) absence
- be overshadowed by (someone or something)
- be past its sell-by date
- be past the/(one's) sell-by date
- be possessed by (something)
- be replaced by (someone or something)
- be saved by a hair('s breadth)
- be struck by (someone or something)
- be struck by/on/with somebody/something
- be struck on (someone or something)
- be struck with (someone or something)
- be tainted by (something)
- be taken by surprise
- be taken in by (someone)
- be taken to task (by someone)
- be taken to the cleaners (by someone)
- be too clever by half
- be touched by (something)
- be witnessed by (someone)
- be/feel hard done by
- become bogged down
- become possessed by (something)
- been getting by
- begin by (doing something)
- begin by doing
- benefit by
- benefit by (something)
- bide by (something)
- bit by a barn mouse
- bit by bit
- bitten by a barn mouse
- bitten by the same bug
- blinded by (something)
- blow by blow
- blow-by-blow
- blow-by-blow account
- brace by
- brick by brick
- brush by
- brush by (someone or something)
- by
- by (one's) (own) bootstraps
- by (one's) fingertips
- by (one's) lights
- by (one's) own fair hand(s)
- by (one's) own hand
- by (one's) wits
- by (oneself)
- by a canvas
- by a hair
- by a hair/whisker
- by a hair's breadth
- by a landslide
- by a long chalk
- by a long shot
- by a margin (of something)
- by a mile
- by a neck
- by a nose
- by a short head
- by a show of hands
- by a whisker
- by a wide margin
- by accident
- by accident or design
- by acclamation
- by all accounts
- by all appearances
- by all manner of means
- by all means
- by all means of
- by all means of (something)
- by all measures
- by all odds
- by an eyelash
- by and by
- by and large
- by ankle express
- by any chance
- by any means
- by any stretch
- by any stretch of the imagination
- by bootstraps
- by brute strength
- by chance
- by check
- by choice
- by circumstance
- by coincidence
- by comparison
- by contraries
- by cracky
- By cracky!
- by day
- by default
- by definition
- by degrees
- by design
- by dint of
- by dint of (something)
- by dint of something
- by dint of something/doing something
- by ear
- by easy stages
- by every measure
- by fair means or foul
- by false pretenses
- by far
- by fits and starts
- by force of circumstance(s)
- by force of habit
- by George
- by God
- by godfrey
- by golly
- by guess and by God
- by guess and by golly
- by guess and by gosh
- by guess or by golly
- by guess or by gosh
- by half
- by halves
- by hand
- by heart
- by heavens
- by hell or high water
- by herself
- by hook or (by) crook
- by hook or by crook
- by hook or crook
- by inches
- by itself
- by jingo
- by Jove
- by Jupiter
- by leaps and bounds
- by lot
- by main force
- by main strength and awkwardness
- by means of
- by means of (something)
- by means of something
- by mistake
- by myself
- by name
- by nature
- by night
- by no manner of means
- by no means
- by no stretch
- by no stretch of the imagination
- by numbers
- by one's bootstraps
- by one's wits
- by oneself
- by ourselves
- by popular demand
- by reason of
- by request
- by return
- by return (of post)
- by return mail
- by return mail and by return post
- by return post
- by right(s)
- by rights
- by rote
- by shank's mare
- by stealth
- by the
- by the (unit)
- by the back door
- by the balls
- by the board
- by the book
- by the bucketful
- by the by
- by the by/bye
- by the bye
- by the day
- by the dozen
- by the dozen(s)
- by the dozens
- by the end of the day
- by the grace of God
- by the gross
- by the handful
- by the hour
- by the hundred(s)
- by the look(s) of it/things
- by the month
- by the name (of)
- by the name of...
- by the nape of (one's)/its/the neck
- by the nape of the neck
- by the numbers
- by the same token
- by the scruff of (one's)/its/the neck
- by the scruff of somebody's/the neck
- by the seat of (one's) pants
- by the seat of one's pants
- by the seat of pants
- by the seat of the pants
- by the seat of your pants
- by the short hairs
- by the skin of (one's) teeth
- by the skin of one's teeth
- by the skin of teeth
- by the skin of your teeth
- by the sweat of (one's) brow
- by the sweat of brow
- by the sweat of one's brow
- by the sweat of your brow
- by the thousand
- by the thousands
- by the time
- by the unit
- by the way
- by the week
- by the yard
- by the year
- by themselves
- by trade
- by trial and error
- by turn
- by turns
- by virtue of
- by virtue of (something)
- by water
- by way of
- by way of (something)
- by way of something
- by weight
- by word of mouth
- by your fingertips
- by your leave
- by yourself
- by yourself, himself, etc.
- by yourselves
- by/from all accounts
- by/from the look of it/things
- by/in comparison
- by/in leaps and bounds
- by/in virtue of something
- by/on/under false pretences
- by/through the back door
- call by (a name)
- call by a name
- Can I get by, please?
- catch (one) by surprise
- catch a tiger by the tail
- cheaper by the dozen
- cheek by jowl
- choked by emotion
- cling on by (one's) fingernails
- cling on by (one's) fingertips
- close by
- clue-by-four
- come by
- come by (something) honestly
- come by honestly
- come by the worst
- come home by Weeping Cross
- conspicuous by (one's)/its absence
- conspicuous by absence
- conspicuous by its absence
- conspicuous by one's (its) absence
- conspicuous by your absence
- conspicuous by your/its absence
- consumed by desire
- continue by (doing something)
- continue by doing
- copy out (by hand)
- Could I get by, please?
- creep by
- cruise by
- crushed by
- crushed by (something)
- damn by association
- day by day
- days gone by
- death by spell check
- delight (someone) by (doing something)
- delight by
- desires are nourished by delays
- die by
- die by (one's) own hand
- die by (something)
- die by inches
- die by own hand
- divide (something) by (something)
- divide by
- do (something) by (one)
- do (something) by halves
- do (something) by the book
- do all right by (one)
- do badly by (someone)
- do by
- do nothing/not do anything by halves
- do right by (someone)
- do right by somebody
- do somehow by
- do something by a whisker
- do something by the book
- do something by the skin of your teeth
- do well by (one)
- do well by doing good
- do well by somebody
- done by mirrors
- don't judge a book by its cover
- don't let life pass you by
- drag (oneself) up by (one's) (own) bootstraps
- drag/pull yourself up by your bootstraps
- drive-by media
- drive-by shooting
- drop by
- drop by the wayside
- easy to come by
- edge by
- edge by (someone or something)
- end up (by) (doing something)
- escape by the skin of (one's) teeth
- exceed (someone or something) by (something)
- exceed by
- exemplify (something) by (something)
- exemplify by
- fall by
- fall by (some amount)
- fall by the wayside
- fall by the wayside, to
- feel hard done-by
- fine by (one)
- fine with me
- fits and starts, by
- fly by
- fly by the seat of (one's) pants
- fly by the seat of your pants
- flyby
- fly-by-night
- footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down
- for sale by owner
- from goo to you, by way of the zoo
- from the look(s) of it/things
- gain (something) by (doing something)
- gain by doing
- gardens are not made by sitting in the shade
- get (one) by the short and curlies
- get (one) by the short hairs
- get (someone) by the balls
- get along
- get away with
- get bogged down
- get bogged down by (something)
- get burned (by someone)
- get by
- get by on a shoestring
- get by with (something)
- get someone by the short and curlies
- get taken in (by someone or something)
- get taken to task (by someone)
- get taken to the cleaners (by someone)
- get the go-by
- get the worst of it
- get/have somebody by the short hairs
- give (one) the go-by
- give someone the go-by
- give the go-by
- glad you could drop by
- go by
- go by shank's mare
- go by the board
- go by the board, to
- go by the name (of)
- go by the name of
- go by the name of...
- go by the wayside
- go-by
- goodbye, cruel world
- grab (someone or something) by the throat
- grab (something) by the throat
- grab someone by the throat
- grab someone/something by the throat
- grab the bull by its horns
- grab the bull by the horns
- grasp (someone or something) by (something)
- grasp by
- grasp the bull by its/the horns
- grow by leaps and bounds
- guilt by association
- guilty by association
- hang (on) by a hair
- hang (someone or oneself) by the neck
- hang by
- hang by (something)
- hang by a hair
- hang by a nail
- hang by a thread
- hang by a thread, to
- hang by a thread/hair
- hang by the eyelids
- hang by the neck
- hang on
- hang on by (one's) fingernails
- hang on by (one's) fingertips
- hang on by a bare thread
- hang on by a thread
- happen by
- hard by
- hard done by
- hard done-by
- hard on
- hard to come by
- has the world by the tail
- haul (oneself) up by bootstraps
- have (got) a/the tiger by the tail
- have (one) by the balls
- have (one) by the short and curlies
- have (someone or something) by the ears
- have (someone or something) by the tail
- have (someone or something) by the throat
- have (someone) by (something)
- have (someone) by the short hairs
- have a bear by the tail
- have a man by the balls
- have a tiger by the tail
- have a wolf by the ears
- have a/the wolf by the ear(s)
- have by
- have one's wits about one, to
- have passed (someone's or something's) sell-by date
- have passed your sell-by date
- have someone by the balls
- have someone by the short and curlies
- have someone by the short hairs
- have something by the ears
- have the bug
- have the right sow by the ear
- have the world by the tail
- he who lives by the sword dies by the sword
- he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword
- highways and byways
- hit by the stupid stick
- hit by the ugly stick
- hit by/with the stupid stick
- hit by/with the ugly stick
- hoist by your own petard
- hoist by/with (one's) own petard
- hold a/the wolf by the ear(s)
- hold an eel by the tail
- hold by
- hold by (something)
- hold the bull by its/the horn(s)
- How's by you?
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