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 And there's always sitting by the pool or on your back porch, gazing at the exuberant green, and listening to the sounds of the jungle. —

Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2024 For his 27th birthday on April 30, Louis Risher spent the day sitting by his fiancée Maddy Baloy’s bedside, watching her sleep. —

Lizzie Hyman, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024 Come evening, indulge in culinary activities or simply sit by the firepit at your lodge and enjoy a quiet evening sipping hot toddies under the stars. —

Sunset Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024 Shortly after that exchange, council members started to get up and leave the meeting, leaving Owens sitting by herself at the council table. —

Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024 Say goodbye to pasta sauce splatters and sticky peanut butter residue, and hello to a cleaning staple that also looks cute sitting by your sink. —

Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 Apr. 2024 Some places look abandoned: The lights are off but a pile of takeaway boxes sits by the till, lamps still hanging or chairs and tables intact. —

Alexandra Stevenson, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024 In the book, Nica sits by a comatose Rigel's side for months, telling him stories and attempting to rouse him. —

Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2024 On vacation, this can look like sitting by the pool at a tropical resort or hiking in the desert where sweating and exposure to chlorine or saltwater is imminent. —

Shelby Hyde, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sit by.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.