Phrasal Verb Meaning Example

1) It's not easy to get around

1) Move from place to the city without
get
place a map.
about/around
2) Spread, circulate 2) News of their separation
soon got about.
get along Be on good terms / I get along (well) with my
(with) work well with. mother-in-law.
What exactly are you trying
get at Imply
to get at?
The robbers got away in a
get away Escape
black car.
Manage to cope or to It's difficult to get by on a low
get by (on)
survive. salary.
Start to actually do It's time to get down to some
get down to
something. serious work!
get in Enter How did the burglar get in?
get into (+ How did the burglar get
Enter
noun) into the house?
1) Leave (bus, train, 1) Get of the bus at Trafalgar
plane). Square.
get off
2) Remove from 2) She's trying to get of the
something. stain.
Board (bus, train, You can pay when you get
get on
plane) on the bus.
Continue to do
Be quiet and get on with your
get on with something / make
homework.
progress
get on (well) Have a good I get on very well with my
with relationship with colleagues.
get out Leave How did he get out?
get out of How did he get out of the
Leave
(+noun) house?
Some husbands manage to get
get out of Avoid doing
out of
(+verb) something
doing any housework.
Recover from (illness, Charlie had the 'flu but he got
get over
disappointment) over it.
It's difficult to get rid of old
get rid of Eliminate
habits.
get round (to) Find the necessary I finally got round to making
 time to do something. the list that I promised.
Let's get together for lunch
get together Meet each other
one day.
get up Rise / leave bed I usually get up at 7 o'clock.

I GET ABOUT a lot with my

Get about Visit many places. job- last years I visited
eleven countries.

It didn't take long for the news to

Get about Become known. GET ABOUT- everyone's talking
about it.

She can't GET ABOUT much, but

Get about Walk or visit places.
she is in her eighties.

Have personal or sexual She GETS ABOUT a bit; she's

Get about
relationships with many people. always with some new guy.

She's been GETTING ABOVE

HERSELF since she got promoted.
Behave as if you are better or more (This is normally used in
Get above
important than others. progressive forms and followed by
a reflexive pronoun, though 'get
above your station' is also used.)

I just couldn't GET my message

Get across Communicate successfully.
ACROSS at the meeting.

It's impossible to GET ACROSS

Get across Go from one side to the other.
the road with all this traffic.

Get across Move something from one side to How are we going to GET these
 the other. bags ACROSS the river?

Get across Be convincing or make a good How can I GET ACROSS TO my

to impression. audience?

You should GET AFTER them to

Get after Nag or exhort someone.
finish the work.

GET AFTER her and give her the

Get after Chase. message before she leaves the
building.

Nowadays, you need IT skills if you

Get ahead Progress.
want to GET AHEAD.

Get ahead I work at home in the evening to

Move in front of.
of GET AHEAD OF schedule.

Why don't you two GET ALONG?

Get along Have a good relationship.
You're always arguing.

It's late; we must be GETTING

Get along Leave.
ALONG.

How's the homework GETTING

Get along Progess.
ALONG?

Get along How are you GETTING ALONG IN

Progress.
in the company.

Get along Have a good relationship with I don't GET ALONG WITH my
 sister- we have nothing in
with someone.
common.

Get along How are you GETTING ALONG

Deal with, handle.
with WITH the training course?

It didn't take long for the news to

Get aroundBecome known. GET AROUND once it got into the
newspapers.

He GETS AROUND a lot- he's

Get aroundVisit many different places.
always flying somewhere different.

He's finding it hard to GET

Get aroundWalk or go to places. AROUND since the operation and
spends most of his time at home.

It'll be tricky, but we will find a way

Get aroundAvoid a problem.
to GET AROUND the regulations.

She didn't want to accept my

Get aroundPersuade, convince. application because it was late, but
I managed to GET AROUND her.

Have personal or sexual He GETS AROUND a bit; he's

Get around
relationships with many people. always with some new girlfriend.

Get aroundFinally manage to do something, It always takes me ages to GET

to make the effort to do something. AROUND to replying to letters.

Get at Criticise. His boss is always GETTING AT

 him for arriving late.

What do you think she's GETTING

Get at Mean.
AT? I've no idea what she wants.

It's on the top shelf and I can't GET

Get at Be able to reach, find, access.
AT it.

The gangsters GOT AT the jury,

Use threats, payments, bribes, etc,
who found them not guilty of all
Get at to affect someone's testimony or
charges despite the evidence
decision.
presented in court.

The robbers GOT AWAY in a

Get away Escape. stolen car, which the police later
found abandoned.

We love to GET AWAY from

Get away Go on holiday or for a short break.
everything and relax in the country.

He didn't come because he was

Get away Move, leave somewhere. stuck at work and couldn't GET
AWAY.

Get away Go somewhere different or do Work's getting on top of me; I need

from something different. to GET AWAY FROM it.

I think we're GETTING AWAY

Get away Start to talk about something that is
FROM the point here- we need to
from not relevant to the discussion.
concentrate on the main ideas.
 Not get caught, criticised or
Get away Thieves GOT AWAY WITH two
punished for doing something
with Picassos, which were never found.
wrong.

Get away Achieve something, despite not Do you think we could GET AWAY
with doing it correctly or properly. WITH using the cheaper product?

"I passed." "GET AWAY! You

Get away! An expression of disbelief.
couldn't have passed."

The train was held up so we didn't

Get back Return.
GET BACK home until midnight.

Don't lend him any money; you'll

Get back Return something.
never GET it BACK.

He was rude and embarrassed

Get back Revenge.
me, but I'll GET him BACK.

The police told the crowd to GET

Get back Move away. BACK to allow the ambulance
through.

Get back I'll GET BACK AT her for landing

Take revenge.
at me in trouble.

I am GETTING BACK INTO my

Get back Start doing something after
Khmer lessons after the summer
into stopping for some time.
break.

Get back Find a new enthusiasm for I lost interest for a while, but I'm
into something. GETTING BACK INTO it.

Get back I'll GET BACK TO you as soon as I

Respond to a contact.
to hear any news.

I don't know at the moment, but I

Get back Respond when you know the
will GET BACK TO you as soon as
to answer.
I have the information.

Get back Start doing something again after It took me ages to GET BACK TO
to an interruption. sleep after the phone rang.

We split up a few months ago but

Get back
Restart a relationship. GOT BACK TOGETHER last
together
week.

All the students GOT BEHIND the

Get behind Support.
teacher.

If you GET BEHIND WITH

Get behind Be late paying instalments for
mortgage payments, you might
with something..
lose your home.

They're finding it increasingly

Get by Have just enough money to live on. difficult to GET BY since their
daughter was born.

I had checked it, but there still

Not be noticed (problems, errors,
Get by were a few mistakes that didn't
etc).
GET BY the editor.
 Manage on a certain amount of
Get by on It's hard to GET BY ON my salary.
money.

We should be able to GET BY

Get by Have enough of something to do
WITH three PCs, but four would be
with the job.
better.

Make someone depressed, The miserable weather in winter

Get down
unhappy, exhausted, etc.. really GETS me DOWN.

I couldn't GET DOWN everything

Get down Write, record.
he said.

The medicine tasted horrible and it

Get down Manage to swallow.
was difficult to GET it DOWN.

The trained pulled in and we GOT

Get down Descend, leave a vehicle.
DOWN.

When they had finished dinner, the

Get down Leave the table after eating. children asked if they could GET
DOWN.

The doctor says I my GET my

Get down Reduce.
cholesterol levels DOWN.

They GOT DOWN at the party last

Get down Have an affair or sexual relations.
week.

Get down Criticise. My mother used to GET DOWN

on ON us for not doing enough
 homework.

I find it extremely difficult to GET

Get down
Start working seriously. DOWN TO doing any revision for
to
examinations.

Get down People were GETTING DOWN TO

Enjoy something a lot.
to the concert.

The air conditioning has broken

Arrange for someone to do a job in
Get in down; we'll have to GET a
your home, workplace, etc.
technician IN to fix it.

Her plane GETS IN at 2am our

Get in Arrive (train, plane, etc.).
time.

She didn't GET IN till well after

Get in Arrive home. twelve o'clock because she'd been
out for a few drinks with her mates.

Get in Enter a car or taxi. The taxi pulled up and we GOT IN.

We need to GET some coffee IN;

Get in Buy or obtain supplies, like food.
we're completely out.

I GOT IN late today because the

Get in Arrive at work, school, home.
train broke down.

Get in Enter a building or place. I borrowed her pass to GET IN.

Get in Be elected. The government GOT IN with a

 very small majority.

I couldn't GET a word IN

Get in Manage to say or do.
throughout the meeting.

Be admitted to a university, club, He did badly in the entrance exam

Get in
etc. and didn't GET IN.

It's raining; I'd better GET the

Get in Bring inside a place.
washing IN.

We have to GET the forms IN by

Get in Submit, apply.
the end of this week.

Get in Pay for drinks. He GOT the drinks IN.

The company tried to GET IN ON

Get in on Become involved.
our market.

Become friendly with, ingratiate I tried to GET IN WITH them as I

Get in with
with. thought it would help me at work.

She's been GETTING INTO dance

Get into Become involved or interested.
music recently.

Become involved in something bad He GOT INTO drugs when he was

Get into
or criminal. at university.

She did well and GOT INTO

Get into Be accepted or admitted.
Cambridge University.
 Become or be accepted as a He GOT INTO the first team for
Get into
member. football.

Start a habit or way of acting or It took me ages to GET INTO

Get into
behaving. driving on the left.

Be small enough to wear I couldn't GET INTO the boots;

Get into
something. they were too tight.

He GOT INTO me for doing it

Get into Criticise.
badly.

If you don't stop that right now,

Get it Be punished or scolded.
you'll really GET IT!

Get it off Have sex. They GOT IT OFF at the party.

Get it off She GOT IT OFF WITH her

Have sex with.
with friend's husband.

The talk was dull and nobody GOT

Get it on Become interested or excited.
IT ON.

Get it on Have sex. Did you two GET IT ON?

Get it on
Have sex with. Did you GET IT ON WITH him?
with

Get it Control things in your life to achieve If I don't GET IT TOGETHER, I will
together your aims. never reach my targets.
Get it They only GET IT TOGETHER at
Begin a relationship.
together the very end of the film.

He couldn't GET IT UP and felt

Get it up Become aroused (of a man).
very embarrassed.

He GOT OFF on a technicality and

Get off Escape punishment.
left the court a free man.

We GOT OFF the bus and walked

Get off Leave a bus, train, etc..
to my house.

Get off Finish, leave work. I like to GET OFF early on Fridays.

We need to GET OFF early to

Get off Start a journey.
avoid the rush hour traffic.

I can't GET the kids OFF because

Get off Help a baby or child sleep.
of the noise from next door.

Get off Orgasm, have sex. We GOT OFF last night.

She GOT OFF a few shots before

Get off Manage to fire a gun.
she was arrested.

Let me know when he GETS OFF

Get off Stop talking on the phone.
the phone as I need to make a call.

Write or send letters, messages, I GOT three emails OFF before the
Get off
etc. meeting.
 She GOT OFF some jokes at the
Get off Say or write something funny.
start of her presentation.

A way of expressing disbelief, or

I knew he was lying so I told him to
Get off it telling someone that they're wrong
GET OFF IT.
or have an incorrect opinion.

He GETS OFF ON crystal meth

Get off on Enjoy a drug.
every night.

She GETS OFF ON her power

Get off on Become excited by.
over us.

Get off He GOT OFF WITH her at the

Have casual sex with.
with party.

If he bothers you, just tell him

Get off! Don't touch, leave alone.
where to GET OFF.

The teacher asked the pupils to

Get on Continue doing something. GET ON with some work quietly as
she had to leave the classroom.

We GOT ON the train at Plymouth

Get on Enter a bus, train, plane, etc..
and went up to London.

Make progress, deal with

How are you GETTING ON with
Get on something with a reasonable
your Spanish lessons?
degree of success.

Get on Have a good relationship. We have always GOT ON well.

 He's GETTING ON now and
Get on Become old, age.
doesn't work so hard.

I must get home now; it's

Get on Be late or near an arranged time.
GETTING ON.

I have put so much weight on that I

Get on Wear, fit.
couldn't GET my old suits ON.

I must be GETTING ON; I have

Get on Leave.
other things to do this evening.

He's always GETTING ON AT me

Get on at Criticise unfairly. when I haven't done anything
wrong.

Get on for Be near a time. It's GETTING ON FOR midnight.

It took the authorities a long time to

Get on to Start to suspect.
GET ON TO the gang.

Get on Fortunately, I GET ON WITH my

Have a good relationship.
with boss.

Get on She told us to GET ON WITH our

Continue or start doing something.
with work.

We didn't GET ONTO the third

Get onto Start discussing a topic.
item on the agenda.

Get onto Be elected, appointed. He didn't GET ONTO the

 committee.

He GOT ONTO every major

Get onto Appear on the radio or TV.
channel after the accident.

Contact someone because you

We'd better GET ONTO someone
Get onto need or want them to do
to fix this.
something.

She GOT ONTO the plane just

Get onto Enter a plane, train, etc.
before it took off.

Leave the house to visit place and She doesn't GET OUT much now
Get out
socialise. she has her baby.

Become known when people want The truth GOT OUT despite the
Get out
it to remain secret. injunction on reporting the case.

The dog GOT OUT because I left

Get out Leave a place, escape.
the door open.

Remove something from where it is I GOT the car OUT so that we

Get out
stored to use it. could load up the suitcases.

I spilled some red wine on my

Remove dirt or something
Get out carpet and can't GET the stains
unwanted.
OUT.

Publish, make available for the We have to GET the report OUT
Get out
public to see or buy. by the end of the month.
 Say what you want when it is He was so upset he couldn't GET
Get out
difficult. the words OUT.

I said I wasn't feeling well and

Get out of Avoid doing something you dislike.
GOT OUT OF the extra work.

We GOT OUT OF the taxi and paid

Get out of Leave a car, van, etc..
the driver.

If you GET OUT OF a routine, it

Get out of Stop a regular activity or habit.
can be hard to start again.

Make someone confess or tell the The police couldn't GET any
Get out of
truth. information OUT OF him.

Make someone give something to Did you GET a refund OUT OF the
Get out of
you. travel agency?

Derive pleasure or benefit from She's GETTING a lot OUT OF her

Get out of
something. university course.

Help someone avoid doing I GOT him OUT OF having to work

Get out of
something. at the weekend.

Get out! Expression of disbelief. 'I got 100% on the test.''Get out!'

Recover from something, feel It took me ages to GET OVER the

Get over
better. bout of flu.

Get over Solve, find a solution. It took us a long time to GET

OVER the problems with the
 computer system.

Communicate, make people He makes jokes to help GET his

Get over
understand. message OVER.

Be shocked or surprised that I couldn't GET OVER how much

Get over
something if real or true. weight he had put on.

We couldn't GET OVER the river

Get over Get to the other side.
because of the floods.

He said he needed help and ask

Get over Come somewhere. me to GET OVER as soon as I
could.

Do something unpleasant that has I GOT the test OVER WITH rather
Get over
to be done rather than delaying it than have to worry about it any
with
any more. longer.

I don't want this to GET ROUND,

Get round Become known.
so please keep it to yourself.

We're nearly ready, but there are

Get round Find a solution. few little problems we have to GET
ROUND before we finish.

It always takes me ages to GET

Get round
Finally manage to do something. ROUND to writing letters. (In
(around) to
American English 'around' is used)

Get round Persuade someone. She didn't want to let me do it, but I
 succeeded in GETTING ROUND
(or around) her. (In American English 'around'
is used)

Get I tried calling her mobile phone, but

Contact.
through I couldn't GET THROUGH.

Get He GETS THROUGH two bottles

Consume.
through of wine a day.

I'm going to take some work home

Get
Finish. because I haven't managed to
through
GET THROUGH it all today.

Get My car didn't GET THROUGH its

Succeed in an exam or test.
through inspection.

Get Help someone or something My teacher GOT me THROUGH

through succeed or pass a test or exam. the exam.

We will have to be careful with our

Get Endure or deal with a difficult
money to GET THROUGH the
through experience.
month.

Get Be accepted or passed (laws, If the proposal GETS THROUGH,

through proposals, etc). it'll make things much better for us.

Get The water GOT THROUGH the

Manage to pass.
through roof and damaged the carpets.

Get Arrive. The message didn't GET

through THROUGH.

Get I explained it carefully, but I just

Make someone understand.
through to couldn't GET THROUGH TO him.

Get I rang but couldn't GET THROUGH

Contact, especially by phone.
through to TO her.

Get If they win, they'll GET THROUGH

Reach a stage in a competition.
through to TO the quarter finals.

Don't let her GET TO you; she's

Get to Annoy, irritate.
just in a bad mood.

When I GET TO it, I'll look at the

Get to Arrive.
matter carefully.

We asked him to GET TO the

Get to Start discussing a topic.
point, but he just waffled away.

Have the opportunity to do Last June I GOT TO visit

Get to
something. Stonehenge.

Get We GOT TOGETHER in the pub

Meet socially.
together for a drink.

I GET UP at seven o'clock on

Get up Get out of bed. weekdays, but lie in till noon at the
weekend.

Get up Organise. They GOT UP a list of two hundred

 people who were opposed to the
local council's plans.

The children are always GETTING

Get up to Do something wrong or naughty.
UP TO some trouble or other.