Phrasal Verb

Meaning

Example Sentence

get about

To move about, especially out of bed after an illness.

Despite being an octogenarian, she certainly gets about a lot.

get across

To communicate successfully one’s ideas to others.

I just don’t know how to get my message across to them.

get ahead

To be successful.

She’s giving up politics as she feels it’s hard for her to get ahead.

get ahead of

To be in front of.

Instead of getting ahead of others, we are actually falling further behind for not working harder.

get along

To be on friendly terms. 

They are trying to get along but they are arguing all the time. 

To manage successfully.

He said he was quite happy when asked how he was getting along in his new job.

get around

To circulate.

Rumour is getting around that Nick will be marrying a wealthy man’s daughter. 

To travel from place to place. 

In the place where we visited, people got around on camels. 

To evade.

The politician somehow got around the question without giving an answer.

To solve a problem. 

The four of us got around the problem of cost by sharing one hotel room. 

To do something that should have been done earlier.

We finally got around to shearing the sheep.

To persuade. 

Let us get around him to join us for a quick swim before breakfast. 

get at

To make repeated criticisms against someone and cause them to feel annoyed. 

She didn’t seem to like him as she kept getting at him. 

To state indirectly. 

Nobody knew what he was getting at by making a remark like that. 

To reach something. 

Someone put that book on the top shelf and now I can’t get at it.  

To find out something. 

We still think he's the one who stole it; somehow, we will get at the truth.

To bribe, or illegally influence someone.

The father got at the police, and the charges against his son were dropped.

get away

To escape. 

I want to know who deliberately opened the cage and let the bird get away? 

To break free. 

He told his friends that the one that got away was that big, using his hands to indicate the size of the fish. 

To holiday somewhere.

The boss felt he was overworked and that he needed to get away for a few days in Hawaii.

get away from

To face fact.

We cannot get away from the fact that we just cannot afford to buy a new car.

get away with

To escape punishment for something wrong that one has done. 

He must have thought he could get away with murder; he’s now in prison for life. 

To succeed in doing something, which is not right.

Maybe we can get away with entering the stadium for the match without tickets.

get back

To return to a place.

We didn’t get back in time to watch the television programme.  

To do something in retaliation. 

She sworn to get him back for the remarks he made.

To have something returned.

She still hasn’t got her puppy back after spending the weekend looking for it.

get back to

To return to talk to someone. 

I’ll get back to him after he has calmed down completely. 

To do something again. 

I hope he won’t interrupt again; let’s get back to our conversation.  

To talk to someone again on the telephone.

She said she would get back to me in five minutes; it’s already one hour and I’m still waiting for her call.

get behind

To be in arrears.

Bob has got behind with his rent and is now avoiding the landlord.

get by

To succeed in managing. 

He has to stop smoking and drinking as his old age pension is barely enough to get by. 

To be unnoticed or ignored.

The handball got by the referee, and a penalty was not given.

get down

To swallow. 

These pills were a bit too big, and I had a hard time getting them down. 

To make depressed or unhappy. 

The frequent arguments between the parents are starting to get the children down. 

To write down.

He was a good speaker and we tried to get down all that he said.

get down to

To start doing something.

It’s time to stop talking and get down to clearing out our bedroom.

get in

To enter a place.

There were grossly fat people in the lift and we couldn’t get in.

get into

To cause surprise by behaving differently. 

Something must have got into him; he doesn’t usually behave like that. 

To become interested in something.

Since her divorce, she has got into yoga.

get off

To send a letter, parcel, etc. 

The post office has just closed; now how am I going to get this letter off? 

To get out of a vehicle.

The passenger fell getting off a bus while it was still moving. 

To receive little or no punishment.

He got off owing to insufficient evidence.

get on

To go onto a bus, etc. 

I got on a wrong bus the other day and ended up next to a cemetery. 

To be able to manage. 

How are you getting on in your new job in the lighthouse? 

To have a good relationship.

The grandfather and his grandson don’t seem to get on with each other.

get out

To publish. 

He is getting the next edition of his book out by the end of the month. 

To help to escape.

They believed he got out with outside help.

get out of

To avoid. 

We’re having dinner with my mother-in-law tonight, but I’m planning to get out of it. 

To gain something that is useful. 

The seminar was about the same as the others; I didn’t get much out of it. 

To stop someone doing something habitually.

Someone has to tell him to get out of constantly interrupting.

get over

To recover from a bad or sad experience.

She still hasn’t got over the death of her parrot.

get over with

To complete an unpleasant but necessary task.

It is getting over with the funeral that I am looking forward to.

get through

To pass an exam, test, etc. 

I nearly killed myself when I failed to get through my final exam. 

To succeed in making contact by telephone. 

It was the fifth attempt that I got through to the department. 

To make someone understand something.

We must try to get through to him that it’s dangerous to perform the stunt.

get to

To begin. 

When she got to talking about politics, nothing could stop her. 

To adversely affect.

I think I am moving out; the constant traffic noise is really getting to me.

get together

To come together.

When we get together for a drink, we always end up arguing.

get up

To stand up. 

Everybody gets up when the woman boss enters. 

To wake up.

He only gets up when the second alarm clock goes off.

get up to

To do something bad or suspicious.

What are those fellows getting up to – walking in the middle of the road in the middle of the night?