CAME BY Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

came by

verb

past tense of come by

as in visited

to make a brief visit come by after work and I'll give you some clothes for the rummage sale

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in won

to receive as return for effort a literary award like that isn't easy to come by

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of came by The truest sign that Joseph had tripped the Rams up with Hufanga’s blitz came by looking at Rams right guard Kevin Dotson. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The discovery came by accident, said the study’s co-lead author Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz to NBC News. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026 The dystopia depicted in the ad came by way of George Orwell’s imagination, but the fears underlying it had deep American roots. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026 Chris Barish, the co-owner, came by our table and stayed to tell stories, which is how the best dinners come to be. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 This question came by way of a book called Éloge du risque by French philosopher Anne Dufourmantelle. — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026 Then, in early June, a woman named Dominique Rice came by with a video crew. — Diamy Wang august 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2026 Several parents came by the school after the shooting, concerned about what happened inside. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 The little worker with the broom came by, passed them, moved right along. — Sheila Heti, New Yorker, 26 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for came by

Verb

Separately, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Levine, and Yair Golan, a former general and leader of the opposition Democrats party, visited.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
The secretary general of the nine-member electoral council, Nemrod Sanon visited North Miami this week and defended the changes to the electoral framework.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of visited

Verb

In 1921, a small Japanese company called Shimano began making bicycle freewheels in Osaka.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
There are also plans afoot by the French defense procurement agency (DGA) called SNA3G, which are preliminary plans for an eventual replacement of the Suffren-class in the future.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of called

Verb

Lawmakers were surprised to learn that nearly 1,700 state employees in all departments were paid more than $50,000 in overtime alone, while nearly 2,600 employees earned more than $40,000 in overtime in addition to their salaries.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Their primary race is still regarded as a historic political earthquake, but, in the final tally, Ocasio-Cortez earned fewer than seventeen thousand votes.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of earned

Verb

The Rams amassed over 400 total yards, gained 30-plus first downs, scored five touchdowns, converted 50 percent of their third downs, and committed zero turnovers against the Bills.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Amazon — The e-commerce giant gained more than 1% after Morgan Stanley named it a top pick and raised its price target.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of gained

Verb

The bar then placed a $5,000 bet on Kalshi that the then-underdog Knicks would win, and a $13,500 payout meant the bar not only paid off its patrons’ tabs, but also reaped a $8,500 profit.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Under-21s manager Rob Page, who Wright is enjoying working with, has reaped the benefits of the striker’s excellent form.

— Andy Jones, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026