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.
From advanced geothermal to new ways of producing nuclear power, big tech companies have been willing to pay more to lock in reliable power sources, thereby accelerating the market for these new efforts. — Justin Worland, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 For prosecutors, the goal of bringing these cases is to ensure gun-owning parents secure their firearms and thereby prevent future school shootings. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 That means the hairspring can maintain a constant, undisturbed oscillation regardless of external forces, thereby increasing accuracy. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026 Lanterns works so well in part because it was conceived as a standalone complete story, albeit one with ramifications for future DCU projects, thereby freeing up the writers to create something truly unique, with no forced, awkward tie-ins. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 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
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