live by
phrasal verb
lived by; living by; lives by
1
: to agree with and follow (something, such as a set of beliefs)
He tried to live by his faith.
a principle I try to live by
2
: to survive by (doing something)
They were an ancient people who lived by hunting and gathering.
Examples of live by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sinner seemed to mean it, and to live by it; he had nearly been knocked out of the tournament during the quarterfinals, when Grigor Dimitrov had taken the first two sets and had the match in control before blowing out a pectoral muscle.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Get addicted to elimination and love living by this routine of freedom.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
After a difficult stretch of years and rebuilding her life more than once, Lias began filming herself at a dry-erase board in 2023 outlining rules to live by — from respecting Rihanna’s privacy to deplaning in an orderly fashion.
—Elaina Patton, NBC news, 6 July 2025
His face growing ever more bronzed from the Boca Raton sun, the Manchester City manager is living by a mantra of freedom and relaxation.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for live by
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Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Get addicted to elimination and love living by this routine of freedom.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
After a difficult stretch of years and rebuilding her life more than once, Lias began filming herself at a dry-erase board in 2023 outlining rules to live by — from respecting Rihanna’s privacy to deplaning in an orderly fashion.
—Elaina Patton, NBC news, 6 July 2025
His face growing ever more bronzed from the Boca Raton sun, the Manchester City manager is living by a mantra of freedom and relaxation.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for live by
Cite this Entry
“Live by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20by. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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