stop by
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle by
Meanings
Make a brief, often unplanned visit
Why “by”? Something stays near another thing.
“I'll stop by tomorrow.”
“Nina stopped by after dinner.”
Don't confuse with
Test yourself
“I'll stop by tomorrow.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
stop in
A contrast learners often mix up
Visit a place briefly on your way somewhere
stop over
A contrast learners often mix up
Stop somewhere briefly during a longer journey
come by
Same by pattern: beside
Pay a brief visit to someone
drop by
Same by pattern: beside
Make a brief, casual visit; Make an unplanned brief visit
sit by
Same by pattern: beside
Take a seat close beside someone
stand by
Same by pattern: beside
Wait nearby, ready to act if needed; Stay loyal to what you said or promised; Wait, ready to act when needed; Watch without intervening
stay by
Same by pattern: beside
Continue to support or remain near someone
swing by
Same by pattern: beside
Drop in briefly while passing through; Visit briefly while travelling between places
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “stop by”.
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