22 Phrasal Verbs with Get | List & Meanings
The English language has a wide variety of phrasal verbs with get, including “get away,” “get over,” “get through,” and “get together.” Phrasal verbs with “get” can be tricky because some of them have multiple meanings, and there are special rules to follow, depending on whether each phrasal verb is intransitive, transitive and inseparable, or transitive and separable.
| Type | Rules | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Intransitive | Never acts upon a direct object | The two boys next door get along so well. |
| Transitive, inseparable | Always acts upon a direct object that cannot separate the verb and the particle | The parking rules on campus are very strict, and there’s no way to get around them. |
| Transitive, separable | Always acts upon a direct object, which can go between the verb and particle or after (unless the direct object is a pronoun, which always goes between) | The speaker got her point across very effectively. |
The tips and examples below show how to use the most common phrasal verbs with “get.”
When you’re writing with phrasal verbs, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
Get across
To communicate (transitive, separable)
Get along
To have a good relationship or spend time together harmoniously (intransitive)
Get around
- To travel or have full mobility (intransitive or transitive, inseparable)
- To circumvent or avoid an obstacle or rule (transitive, inseparable)
- To become known by many people (e.g., news or gossip, intransitive)
- After Arlo’s sprained ankle healed, he was able to get around much better.
- The company sponsored sports teams to get around the advertising rules.
- The news about the merger is getting around.
Get around to
To find time to do something (transitive, inseparable)
(The alternative “get round to” is also common in British English.)
Get at
To suggest or say (intransitive)
Get away
To escape or go on vacation (intransitive)
For example, “getaway” (one word) is a noun that means “a vacation” (e.g., “My husband surprised me with a three-day getaway to Nashville”).
Other compound nouns that come from phrasal verbs include “get-together,” “sleepover,” “dropout,” and “makeover.”
Get away with
To avoid the consequence of breaking a rule or making a mistake (transitive, inseparable)
Get back
- To return to a place (intransitive)
- To receive (something) that was gone (transitive, separable)
- To take revenge (on someone who did something wrong) (transitive, separable with a direct object that’s always a person and always between “get” and “back”)
- What time does Kenan get back from New York?
- If I lend you this dress, could I get it back by Friday?
- After Tim put fake spiders in Marci’s shoes, she was determined to get him back.
Get back at
To achieve revenge (transitive, inseparable)
Get back to
- To return to a condition or activity (transitive, inseparable)
- To return a phone call or contact someone at a later time with information they requested (transitive, inseparable)
- I’ll get back to writing this report after lunch.
- Gabriella left a message with the nurse, but he hasn’t gotten back to her yet.
Get behind
- To fail to make adequate progress (intransitive)
- To become supportive or in favor of something or someone (transitive, inseparable)
- When it rained for three days, Micki got behind on the yard work.
- No one should get behind politicians who break the law.
Get by
To survive or subsist (intransitive)
Get down
- To swallow (transitive, separable)
- To sadden (transitive, separable)
- To write (transitive, separable)
- To dance energetically and/or impressively (intransitive)
- We used peanut butter to help the dog get the medicine down.
- The news has been getting everyone down lately.
- As soon as I get my list down, I’ll go to the store.
- No one gets down like Bruno Mars.
Get in
- To arrive or enter successfully (intransitive)
- To send something so that it arrives by a deadline (transitive, separable)
- If the plane gets in on time, we can enjoy an early dinner.
- The students had to get their essays in by Thursday.
Get off
- To avoid the most serious punishment (intransitive)
- To receive permission to miss (intransitive or transitive, separable)
- Mika got pulled over for speeding, but she got off with a warning instead of a ticket.
- Do we get school off for Halloween this year?
Get on
- To have a good relationship (intransitive)
- To handle a situation (intransitive)
- To continue doing (intransitive, often with a prepositional phrase that includes “with” + an activity)
- All of the people on this team get on with each other very well.
- How are you getting on during finals week?
- Now that the fire drill is over, let’s get on with the presentation.
Get out
- To escape or leave (intransitive)
- To help someone escape or leave (transitive, separable)
- To become well-known information (intransitive)
- The cat got out, but I was able to catch her right away.
- The firefighter used a tall ladder to get the cat out of the tree.
- Rumors about a new Hunger Games novel have gotten out recently.
Get over
To overcome (transitive, inseparable)
Get over with
To finish something unpleasant (transitive, separable, but the direct object always goes after “get”)
Get through
- To become understood (intransitive)
- To survive or endure a difficult situation (transitive, inseparable)
- The physics professor tried his best, but the information just wasn’t getting through.
- A career change is never easy, but you’ll get through it.
Get together
- To meet for a planned social event (intransitive)
- To arrange the meeting of other people (transitive, separable with the direct object always after “get”)
- Rayna and Krista got together for dinner last weekend.
- The neighbor and I are getting our kids together for a playdate tomorrow.
Get up
- To awaken and start the day (intransitive)
- To awaken (someone) (transitive, separable)
- Even though I’m not a morning person, I get up at 7:00.
- I have to get the kids up for school by 7:30.
Frequently asked questions about phrasal verbs with get
- What does get out of dodge mean?
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Get out of dodge is an idiom that means “to quickly leave an unpleasant place or tense situation” (e.g., “After several weeks of freezing temperatures, we decided to get out of dodge and go someplace warmer”).
The phrase originated from when Dodge City, Kansas was a boomtown in the “Wild West” that attracted outlaws. It includes the phrasal verb “get out,” which means “to leave.”
Have you tried the QuillBot Grammar Checker? It can help you use “get out” and other phrasal verbs with “get” correctly.
- What does get over yourself mean?
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Get over yourself means “stop being self-centered” or “stop taking yourself so seriously” (e.g., “When Jake said that he was the best cook in the family, we told him to get over himself”).
This informal expression includes “get over,” which is a phrasal verb with “get” that means “to stop being affected or controlled by something.”
When you’re writing with phrasal verbs, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
- What does get in the paint mean?
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Get in the paint means “to put forth a very strong or bold effort” (e.g., “I’m exhausted because I really got in the paint last night trying to cram for my exams”).
“Get in the paint” is an informal expression with “get in,” a phrasal verb with “get” that means “to enter successfully.”
“The paint” refers to a rectangular painted area of a basketball court near the goal, where most of the points are scored and the playing becomes more competitive. It’s a metaphor for any situation that involves intense effort.
When you’re writing with phrasal verbs like “get in,” the QuillBot paraphrasing tool can show you a variety of alternatives.
- What does get on board mean?
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Get in the paint means “to put forth a very strong or bold effort” (e.g., “I’m exhausted because I really got in the paint last night trying to cram for my exams”).
“Get in the paint” is an informal expression with “get in,” a phrasal verb with “get” that means “to enter successfully.”
“The paint” refers to a rectangular painted area of a basketball court near the goal, where most of the points are scored and the playing becomes more competitive. It’s a metaphor for any situation that involves intense effort.
When you’re writing with phrasal verbs like “get in,” the QuillBot paraphrasing tool can show you a variety of alternatives.
- What are the most common phrasal verbs in English?
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The most common phrasal verbs in English include:
- Bring up (to raise)
- Call off (to cancel)
- Find out (to learn about)
- Give up (to stop trying)
- Get by (to survive)
- Put off (to postpone)
- Show up (to arrive)
- Take off (to leave or to remove)
Phrasal verbs are challenging because they are idioms, which means that they have figurative rather than literal meanings. Luckily, the QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you use them correctly in any piece of writing.
