come by

verb

To obtain; to get, especially by chance or involuntarily. (transitive) · A loyal friend is hard to come by.· Somehow he came by a substantial fortune.
To come near to; to pass; to visit. (intransitive) · Your beau came by while you were shopping.

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From the library

Dorothy did not know what to say to this, for all the people seemed to think her a witch, and she knew very well she was only an ordinary little girl who had come by the chance of a cyclone into a strange land.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, p. 15 · B2

But how did he come by his death?

The Return of Sherlock Holmes, p. 5 · C1

how does he come by his name—his fortune?

The Count of Monte Cristo, p. 421 · C1

Many modern devices are glued rather than screwed together, spare parts can be hard to come by, and a new appliance often costs less than having the old one repaired.

The Lost Art of Repair, p. 1 · C2

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