Come by meaning
Come by is a phrasal verb that means to obtain something through effort, luck, or unexplained means.
- Past simple
- came by
- Past participle
- come by
- -ing form
- coming by
What come by means
C2
To obtain something through effort, luck, or unexplained means
Affordable flats are difficult to come by here.
Similar phrasal verbs
With come: come from, come in, come round, come back, come out, come down, come up, come along, come away, come before.
With by: stop by, go by, get by, put by, pass by.
Common questions
What does come by mean?
To obtain something through effort, luck, or unexplained means.
What is the past tense of come by?
Came by. The past participle is come by.
Meanings and examples are written by Retite. The meanings follow Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0). Levels are based on the CEFR-J Wordlist and set by Retite.
