Phrasal verbs with 'GET'

GET ACROSS – to convey a message, to make someone understand a point.

Ryan’s art looked nice but I never quite got the ideas he was trying to get across.

GET ALONG – to manage to do smth, to handle smth/to be on friendly terms with someone, to have a good relationship.

“How are you getting along in your new job?”

“Well, the job is fine but I don’t exactly get along with my boss.”

GET AROUND – to travel a lot, to be socially active/to spread (when talking about info)/ to avoid, to sidestep/to find the time to do something.

I get around and I hear things. Word got around that the painting you sold is actually fake. There’s no getting around the elephant in the room. You need to get around to addressing this issue.

GET AT – to bother someone with criticism/to manage to reach smth/to mean, to hint, to imply.

Sally’s mom is always getting at her over trifles. So, one day Sally decided that she’d had enough and put her mom’s glasses on a high shelf where she couldn’t get at them because she is really tiny. What I am trying to get at here is that you get what you give.

GET AWAY – to go somewhere to have a rest/to leave, to escape.

We decided to get away for a couple of weeks and went to a seemingly nice mountain village. Three days later, we wanted nothing more than to get away from this wretched place.

GET AWAY WITH – to avoid being punished for doing smth bad/ to manage to do smth though it is not the best way of doing it.

Politicians often get away with corruption. They also don’t work on their campaigns at all and get away with using the same selling points every year.

GET BY – to manage to do smth having just enough of smth/to make just enough effort not to fail/to move past smth.

How Harry managed to get by on so little money will forever be a mystery to me. But he was brilliant at everything he did while my grades were just enough to get by. And he noticed everything around, no information could get by him.

GET DOWN – to make someone feel unhappy/to have a great time partying/to swallow with an effort.

All this stuff with Sam had been getting me down, so my friends invited me to a party. It made me forget about things for a while; we were really getting down on the dance floor. But I could not get any food down the next day.

GET DOWN TO – to start working on something, to start paying serious attention to a task.

We have to stop putting this task away for later and get down to work. It’s time to get down to business.

GET OFF – to leave a bus or a plane, etc. / to leave work after your working day is over/to avoid a more serious punishment / (get off on) to take great pleasure in smth.

I think I’m going to get off at the next stop and walk, otherwise, I’ll be there too early. Is it possible for you to get off a bit earlier today? Maybe you’ll just get off with a small rebuke from your boss for that. I know he gets off on scolding his employees.

GET ON – to enter a bus or a plane, etc. / to have a good relationship.

I met Lenny when I was 8. I got on the school bus and he tripped me up. I gave him a black eye in return and we’ve been friends ever since. We still get on very well.

GET ON WITH – to continue or start doing smth.

I have to get on with this article, or I will never finish it.

GET OUT – to leave.

Get out! I don’t want to see your smug little face anymore!

GET OUT OF – to avoid doing something.

You won’t get out of doing your homework, young man, not this time.

GET OVER – to recover, to accept / to overcome.

I thought Sarah was never going to get over her breakup with John. I’m glad I was mistaken, ‘cause she finally got over her shyness and started going on dates.

GET RID OF – to throw or give smth away / to send someone away.

She keeps telling me that I need to get rid of my old clothes before my wardrobe explodes. I can’t listen to her anymore, please, help me get rid of her.

GET THROUGH – to overpass, to finish doing smth.

You got through this nightmare. There is no way you will have any problem getting through your exams.

GET THROUGH TO – to reach someone on the phone / to make someone understand smth.

We tried calling James time and time again but we couldn’t get through to him, because the line was always busy. After he finally picked up, we talked for hours and I believe we managed to get through to him as he agreed to come back home.

GET UP – to leave the bed/to stand up / to climb.

Manny got up at 3 am to meet his grandma at the station. She kept complaining that young people do not get up to offer their seats to elders anymore. Then, it took them 10 minutes to get up the stairs, ‘cause the elevator in Manny’s building was out of order.

GET UP TO – to do smth (especially smth mischievous).

He’s been getting up to all sorts of things since he lost his job.

Test your knowledge of phrasal verbs with 'get' here:

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