sit by
phrasal verb
sat by; sitting by; sits by
: to make no effort to stop something bad or unpleasant from happening
I won't sit idly by while he ruins his life!
Examples of sit by in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fans were quick to point out what appears to be Thompson relaxing in the background of one of the vacation shots, sitting by the pool.
—
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 10 July 2025
But as a student of history, a patriotic American who flies the flag at my house every day, who keeps a large portrait of George Washington in my living room, I am obligated to do something rather than passively sit by while the unacceptable becomes normalized.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 22 June 2025
Beside me, several diners sat by themselves eating big bowls of pasta and couples sipped glasses of wine.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Back at the marketplace sitting by the edge of Koreatown and Pico-Union, Gongora rushed to tend to a customer.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sit by
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Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 10 July 2025
But as a student of history, a patriotic American who flies the flag at my house every day, who keeps a large portrait of George Washington in my living room, I am obligated to do something rather than passively sit by while the unacceptable becomes normalized.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 22 June 2025
Beside me, several diners sat by themselves eating big bowls of pasta and couples sipped glasses of wine.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Back at the marketplace sitting by the edge of Koreatown and Pico-Union, Gongora rushed to tend to a customer.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sit by
Cite this Entry
“Sit by.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20by. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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