sit by
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
The book sat by the owner’s bed.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
However, Jenna — still adjusting to adulthood — mistakenly focuses on a much younger boy sitting by himself.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Grab a coconut and sit by their pool overlooking the bay for a little tan sesh.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Apr. 2026
At one point, the women sat by a bonfire on the beach and discussed what had gone wrong between them all those years ago.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sit by
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.
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
However, Jenna — still adjusting to adulthood — mistakenly focuses on a much younger boy sitting by himself.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Grab a coconut and sit by their pool overlooking the bay for a little tan sesh.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Apr. 2026
At one point, the women sat by a bonfire on the beach and discussed what had gone wrong between them all those years ago.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
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 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
