30 Phrasal Verbs with Get: Usage and Practical Examples

To get around essentially means to travel or move from one place to another.

Example:

• As you get older, it gets harder to get around the city.
• I traveled across Europe last summer, so I get around a lot.

To get around something can also be used as a process of finding a way of dealing with or avoiding a problem.

Example:

• My classmate is trying to get around taking the final exam.
• The accountant department tried getting around the tax laws.

Similar to get around, getting about also means moving from one place to another. However, this phrasal verb is more about being socially active and circulating in many social groups.

Example:

• John has visited every party since the beginning of the year. He surely gets about a lot.
• Getting about is a tiring, but fun lifestyle.

Additionally, to get about can be used to refer to news becoming widely known.

Example:

• If the news gets about, we are in serious trouble.
• How did the rumors get about before the cellphones were invented?.

To get across means to make something clear or make someone understand what you’re trying to communicate successfully.

Example:

• They were arguing and he couldn’t get his point across.
• We need to make sure our message gets across to our customers.

This is one of the get phrasal verbs that has two meanings. One definition of to get ahead is to advance or achieve success in the work you do.

Example:

• He got ahead in his career after the promotion.
• Sometimes you have to make hard decisions to get ahead in this job.

Another version of this phrasal verb is getting ahead of yourself. It means planning or doing something prematurely and without much thought.

Example:

• I got ahead of myself and missed my chance to join the team.
• Don’t get ahead of yourself and risk losing what you’ve already achieved.

To get after is defined as intensely pursuing something or someone in order to correct a fault.

Example:

• Hopefully, the police get after the burglar that broke into our house!.
• My teacher should get after Tommy, because he stole my homework.

To get along with someone means being on good terms or in a friendly relationship with somebody.

Example:

• They get along with each other so well, I thought they were sisters.
• I don’t really get along with my brother-in-law.

To get at someone means indirectly suggesting or criticizing someone repeatedly in an unfair manner.

Example:

• My boss keeps getting at me for no reason.
• She kept getting at me because I didn’t wash the dishes.

To get away is one of the more interesting and diverse phrasal verbs with get, since it has a couple of different meanings. One of them is trying to leave or escape something or someone, often in difficult circumstances.

Example:

• I was trying to get away from him after an argument.
• I won’t be able to get away from the office until 7 p.m.

Another meaning of getting away is going away someplace for a long period of time, like a vacation or holiday.

Example:

• We wanted to get away from the city after a stressful year.
• Finally, me and my family are getting away for a long awaited vacation.

Interestingly, to get away with something has a completely different meaning from our previous phrasal verb. It essentially means avoiding punishment or consequences for doing something wrong or illegal.

Example:

• When I was a teen, I got away with shoplifting all the time.
• He got away with cheating on his taxes, but not for long.

To get back means returning to a place you were at previously after being somewhere else.

Example:

• My dad told me to get back home before sundown.
• When did you get back from your trip?

Getting something back means returning something after it has been lost.

Example:

• She lost her luggage at the airport and doesn’t know how to get it back.
• I’m still waiting to get my money back after returning a broken product.

To get back at someone is defined as doing something unpleasant to a person that has treated you badly before.

Example:

• I want to get back at him for bullying me at school.
• She was trying to get back at me after what I told her at the meeting.

Another one of the diverse phrasal verbs with get, to get behind has, surprisingly, two completely different meanings. The first one means failing to do something as quickly as needed.

Example:

• Jenny got behind at school after being on sick leave.
• I’m going to get behind on my rent payment this month.

The second definition of getting behind is supporting someone or something.

Example:

• This project can become very successful if more people get behind it.
• If you think this is going to work, then I will get behind you.

One of the most common get phrasal verbs, most people use it on an everyday basis. It simply means successfully entering a place.

Example:

• How are you going to get in the house without keys?
• When we get in the hotel, I’m taking a nap immediately.

To get into something means becoming interested or involved in a new activity. Getting into can also mean entering some kind of situation.

Example:

• I got into baseball last summer.
• I’m not going to get into a fight with him again.

Similar to get into, but a less common phrasal verb. It refers to taking part in an ongoing activity with a goal of getting some kind of advantage from it.

Example:

• He tried to get in on our business idea, but we refused.
• If you’re interested in getting in on this offer, you should reach out to them.

To get by means to live in a situation where you have just enough resources, such as money, to make ends meet and carry on.

Example:

• He’s trying to get by while working on a part-time job.
• I couldn’t possibly get by on such a small living wage.

To get it together is a very interesting phrasal verb, as it refers to making a decision to take positive actions in your life in order to start living more sensibly.

Example:

• She needs to get it together if she wants to turn her life around.
• John has really got it together since the last time we saw him. Good for him.

To get over something means recovering or feeling better after something unpleasant has happened to you.

Example:

• It took months to get over the breakup, but I’m fine now.
• It seems like I’m not getting over this flu anytime soon.

To get it over with means completing an unpleasant task in order to not worry about it in the future.

Example:

• Let’s just get it over with the job and finally go home.
• I just want to get this project over with and forget about it.

Get through and get it over with are similar phrasal verbs with get that both mean finishing some kind of unpleasant work and feeling relieved about it.

Example:

• Can’t wait to get through this work day and go out to party.
• Marry got through her exams without much trouble.

To get taken in means to be fooled or cheated out by something or someone.

Example:

• Swindlers expect people to get taken in by sad or tragic stories.
• Come on, you can’t get taken in by this stupid social media trend.
• Another meaning of getting taken in is being fostered or adopted by someone, often in an unofficial manner.

Example:

• When his parents passed away, he got taken in by his aunt.
• Only a small portion of animals in shelters get taken in by families.

To get out refers to the action of leaving or exiting a place or a situation.

Example:

• We need to get out of house and travel more often.
• I’m going to be getting out for some groceries, do you need anything?
• Another use of this phrasal verb is when news or information that were kept secret become public.

Example:

• Once the word gets out about our new brand, we are going to see a lot of customers.
• If our affair gets out to the public, we’re going to be scrutinized.

A phrasal verb get to refers to an opportunity to do something.

Example:

• Now that I’m here, I get to do some exciting work!
• If it wasn’t for your offer, I would have never got to make my dream come true.

To get to someone, however, means feeling or making someone feel upset or annoyed.

Example:

• He was trying to get to me by saying awful things about my family.
• The argument was starting to get to me, so I decided to leave the room.

To get used to something or someone means becoming familiar to the point that eventually it seems like it’s always been that way.

Example:

• The smell in the hospital is very off-putting, but you’ll get used to it after awhile.
• I’m used to seeing Mike delivering mail every day at 8 a.m.

One of the most commonly used get phrasal verbs, get up means to stand up from a sitting or lying position.

Example:

• I get up every morning to go to shower and drink my coffee.
• The auditorium got up and started clapping after a fantastic lecture.

To get down has three meanings, one is simple that refers to the action of lowering your body, such as sitting, laying down, crouching, etc.

Example:

• He got down on his knees to pray in church.
• Get down on the floor until the danger passes.

The other definition of getting down is putting your effort and attention towards something.

Example:

• Let’s get down to business and finish our project.
• The last interpretation of getting down is when something or someone makes you feel unhappy or distressed.

Example:

• The rainy and cloudy weather gets me down every time.

Get together is a phrasal verb that refers to two or more people meeting each other to spend time together or do some activities.

Example:

• We should get together with our former classmates and remember our time in school.
• He got together with his family for a holiday in the woods.

To get off means leaving a place, usually at a planned time, in order to do something.

Example:

• I get off from work at 6 p.m., so we can meet afterwards.
• I was trying to get off the train, but it was too crowded, so I missed my stop.

To get on means to continue or progressing in doing something, usually trying to achieve success.

Example:

• Talent is just as important as knowledge when it comes to getting on in this career.
• She got on with her work and is now a top manager in the company.

Getting rid of something or someone means removing a thing from your life that you no longer want or need.

Example:

• I got rid of this old rug in the basement when we were doing the renovation.
• Jane wants to get rid of me because she doesn’t love me anymore.