by

alternative bye

1. Near or next to.

   The mailbox is by the bus stop.

2. From one side of something to the other, passing close by; past.

   He ran straight by me.

   1 more example

   The stream runs by our back door.

3. Not later than (the given time); not later than the end of (the given time interval); before.

   Be back by ten o'clock!

   2 more examples

   We'll find someone by the end of March.

   I'll have been cycling for longer than two hours by lunchtime.

4. After a given amount of time has elapsed or a given event has occurred.

   By February, we were all sick of the cold.

   2 more examples

   By the time I realized I had left my phone at home, I was already two blocks from work.

   By 29, my financial situation wasn’t just disorganized, it was untenable.

   2026 April 22, Jillian Sanders, “The Danger of Surrendering Your Financial Independence in a Relationship”, in TIME, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2026

5. Indicates the person or thing that does or causes something: Through the action or presence of.
   1. Following a passive verb.

      The boat was swamped by the water.

      3 more examples

      The matter was decided by the chairman.

      He was protected by his body armour.

      Valencia threatened sporadically in the first half with Miguel having a decent effort deflected wide by Ashley Cole, while Jordi Alba's near-post cross was flicked into the sidenetting by Pablo Hernandez.

      2011 September 28, Jon Smith, “Valencia 1-1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 30 Jun 2022

   2. Following a noun.

      There was a call by the unions for a 30% pay rise.

   3. Following an adjective.

      I was aghast by what I saw.

      2 more examples

      In other directions the fields and sky were so much of one colour by the snow that it was difficult in a hasty glance to tell whereabouts the horizon occurred […].

      1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, 2005 Barnes & Noble Classics publication of 1912 Wessex edition, p.109

      Nina is pregnant by a wishy-washy ACLU lawyer named Howard.

      1986 February 15, Walta Borawski, “Objects of Affection: Gay Men & Straight Women”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 39, page B6

6. Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of.

   There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare

7. Indicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of.

   I discovered it by chance.

   5 more examples

   I'd know you anywhere by your gravelly voice.

   I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking.

   By Pythagoras' theorem, we can calculate the length of the hypotenuse.

   We went by bus down to the water to feed the ducks.

   You can only get there by water.

8. Indicates an authority according to which something is done.

   I live by my own code of ethics.

   1 more example

   By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.

   1. Invokes an authority in an oath.

      By Jove! I think she's got it!

      3 more examples

      By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this.

      By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong

      c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

      'By my soul! I believe something bad has happened me,' he muttered, and popped up his window, and looked out, half dreaming over the church-yard on the park beyond […]

      1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard

9. Indicates a means of classification or organisation.

   I sorted the items by category.

   1 more example

   Table 1 shows details of our employees broken down by sex and age.

10. Indicates the amount of change, difference or discrepancy

    We won by six goals to three.

    2 more examples

    Our stock is up by ten percent.

    His date of birth was wrong by ten years.

11. In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another.

    We crawled forward by inches.

    1 more example

    We went through the book page by page.

12. [with the] Acted on in units of the specified size or measure. (Sometimes hyperbolically)

    He sits listening to the radio by the hour.

    2 more examples

    sold by the yard; cheaper if bought by the gross

    While sitting listening to the radio by the hour, she can drink brandy by the bucketful!

13. Per; with or in proportion to each.

    His health was deteriorating by the day.

    1 more example

    The pickers are paid by the fortnight by the American bushel.

14. Indicates a referenced source: According to.

    He cheated by his own admission.

    2 more examples

    By my reckoning, we should be nearly there.

    Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.

    1722, William Wollaston, “Sect. V. Truths relating to the Deity. Of his exiſtence, perfection, providence, &c.”, in The Religion of Nature Delineated, page 81

15. Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something.

    The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot.

    2 more examples

    It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix.

    The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm.

16. mathematicsMultiplied by or (chiefly South Asia) divided by.
17. horse breedingDesignates a horse's sire (“male parent”).

    She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress.

18. chiefly YeshivishAt; with; among.

    By Chabad, it's different.

    1 more example

    Are you eating by Rabbi Fischer? (at the house of)

19. nauticalIn a windward direction, sailing near to the direction from which the wind is blowing.

alternative bye

1. not comparableAlong a path which runs past someone or something.

   I watched the parade as it passed by.

2. not comparableIn the vicinity, near.

   There was a shepherd close by.

   1 more example

   [The helmsman] steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk […]

   1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part II

3. not comparableTo or at a place, as a residence or place of business.

   I'll stop by on my way home from work.

   1 more example

   We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave.

4. not comparableuncommon outside the phrase 'put by'Aside, away.

   The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring.

5. not comparableuncommon except in set phrasesBeyond or past a certain point.

   I'll somehow manage to get by.

alternative bye

1. not comparableOut of the way, off to one side.

   a by path; a by room

2. not comparableSubsidiary, incidental.

   by catch; a by issue

plural bys · alternative bye

1. alternativeAlternative form of bye.

alternative bye

1. datedDated form of bye (“goodbye”).

1. rail transportThe station code of Byculla railway station in India.

1. abbreviationuncountablecopyrightAbbreviation of attribution.