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go by

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go by (someone or something)

to pass by someone or something. We went by Alice without even noticing her. We went by because we were in a hurry.

go by something

1. to act according to particular rules, directions, or information Men are still going by what's expected of them. That's what Cheryl told me. I'm just going by that. Related vocabulary: abide by sth

2. to be known as something He's a gang leader who goes by the street name of Candyman.

go by

1. Elapse, pass, as in the popular song, "As Time Goes By" (by Herman Hupfeld, 1931), or He just went by our house. [c. 1600]

2. Ignore, fail to notice or take advantage of, as in You shouldn't let this opportunity go by. [Early 1500s] For the related go by the board, see by the board.

3. Rely on, believe, as in I'm going by the numbers on this list, or We'll have to go by what she tells us.

4. go by the name of. Be known by or use a specific name. For example, She continued to go by her maiden name, Mary Smith. [Late 1500s]

go by

v.

1. To approach someone or something and then move past; pass something: I could smell the fresh bread as we went by the bakery. The goalie stumbled, and the ball went right by her. We sat near the window so that we could watch the people going by on the sidewalk.

2. To elapse; pass. Used of periods of time: Time goes by quickly if you're busy. Three years have gone by since we last spoke to each other.

3. To pay a short visit to some place: On my way to work, I went by the post office to mail a package. My parents were not at home when we went by last week.

4. To make a judgment or proceed on the basis of some property or observation: When I'm choosing a pair of boots, I go by quality and price, not the way they look. If you want to play this game with us, you must go by the rules. Should we go by the recipe in the cookbook or the recipe on the package? They have a good chance of winning the tournament, if their performance in the last few games is something to go by.

5. To be known as having some name: My real name is Theodore, but I also go by "Teddy."