thereby

adverb

there·​by t͟her-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
ˈt͟her-ˌbī
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
… thereby hangs a tale …—William Shakespeare

Examples of thereby in a Sentence

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But by leaving out Clark, people start hammering their socials, thereby injecting Ion and the WNBA into people's feeds. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Helping calcium and other minerals bind, thereby improving bone mineral density. — Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 31 July 2026 These regulations, initially intended to control healthcare costs, are widely criticized for allowing incumbent providers to block competition, thereby limiting patient access and driving up prices. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 The idea at the time was to pass it, thereby putting pressure on the Democratic Legislature to fund it, as the will of the people. — Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thereby

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thereby was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing thereby

Rhymes for thereby

See All Rhymes for thereby

Browse Nearby Words

(there) but for the grace of God (go I)
thereby
thereby hangs a tale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thereby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thereby. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

thereby

adverb
there·​by t͟ha(ə)r-ˈbī How to pronounce thereby (audio)
t͟he(ə)r-;
ˈt͟ha(ə)r-ˌbī, 
ˈt͟he(ə)r-
1
: by that : by that means
thereby lost her chance to win
2
: connected with or with reference to that
thereby hangs a tale

More from Merriam-Webster on thereby

Nglish: Translation of thereby for Spanish Speakers

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