roll by

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle by

Meanings

1

Of time, pass smoothly and continuously

Time Passing

Why “by”? Time passes the same way. Moments stream past and are gone.

“The days rolled by uneventfully.”
The days passed smoothly without incident.
“Quiet weeks rolled by in the village.”
Quiet weeks passed smoothly in the village.

Don't confuse with

roll byroll over

Roll by means of time, pass smoothly and continuously. Roll over means turn by rotating sideways.

Test yourself

“The days rolled by uneventfully.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

roll over

A contrast learners often mix up

Turn by rotating sideways

fly by

Same by pattern: time passing

Travel past quickly through the air; Of time, pass extremely quickly

go by

Same by pattern: time passing

Of time, pass or elapse; Use a rule, name, or evidence as your guide; Use a particular name

pass by

Same by pattern: time passing

Move past a point without stopping; Of an opportunity or time, go past without being used

slip by

Same by pattern: time passing

Pass quietly without being noticed; Of time, pass quietly without being noticed

tick by

Same by pattern: time passing

Of time, pass second by second, often when waiting

roll back

Same base verb: roll

Reverse a change or policy

roll out

Same base verb: roll

Release or deploy widely

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