Particle guide

Phrasal verbs with by

The particle by starts from one core idea — passing close to or alongside. Sink In groups its verbs by the recurring ways that idea plays out, so verbs that look unrelated line up into patterns.

27 phrasal verbs · 8 meaning groups

Passing

Something moves near a point and continues past it.

fly bypass byrun byslip by

Usual verb + particle uses

The verb keeps its normal meaning. The particle adds its usual direction or relation.

drive by

Move past a place in a vehicle

“She drove by my house this morning.”
She drove past my house this morning.
“Omar drove by the stadium.”
Omar drove past the stadium.

rush by

Move past at speed in a hurry

“Cars rushed by on the motorway.”
Cars sped past on the motorway.
“Children rushed by in the corridor.”
Children moved past very fast in the corridor.

sail by

Move past gracefully or apparently without effort

“The yacht sailed by the harbour.”
The yacht moved past the harbour with ease.
“A white boat sailed by the pier.”
A white boat moved past the pier with ease.

speed by

Move past very quickly

“A motorcycle sped by us.”
A motorcycle went past us at high speed.
“A train sped by the platform.”
A train went past the platform at high speed.

walk by

Move past on foot without stopping

“He walked by without saying hello.”
He walked past without greeting.
“Nina walked by the desk without stopping.”
Nina walked past the desk without stopping.

zip by

Move past with great speed and energy

“Cyclists zipped by on the trail.”
Cyclists raced past us on the trail.
“A delivery rider zipped by the cafe.”
A delivery rider rode past the cafe quickly.

Just Enough

BY means you have just enough to manage. It is not a lot, but it meets the basic need.

get byscrape by

Beside

Something stays near another thing.

come bydrop bysit bystand bystay bystop byswing by

Time Passing

Time passes the same way. Moments stream past and are gone.

fly bygo bypass byroll byslip bytick by

Reserve

Move it just to one side, out of the main flow, to keep for later.

lay byput by

Guide

BY shows the thing that guides you: a rule, promise, name, or belief.

abide bygo bylive bystand byswear by

Obtaining

Something reaches your hands through an indirect or unexpected route.

come by

Checking

An idea passes by another person so they can check it or give an opinion.

run by
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Practice the by patterns in Sink In

The app turns each meaning group into short review cards: recognition, particle cloze, meaning-to-particle recall, and schema matching.

  • Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
  • Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
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Sink In particle by shown through its meaning patterns