get
/ɡɛt/20 phrasal verbsThe plain verb means to obtain, to arrive at, or to become.
GET is the busiest verb in English and it forms more phrasal verbs than any other. The unifying idea is transition — moving from one state or place to another. The particle tells you which transition.
The cluster that causes the most trouble is get over, get through, get by and get away with. All four describe surviving something, but they are not interchangeable: you get over an illness (you recover), get through an exam (you endure it to the end), get by on a small salary (you survive at a minimum), and get away with a lie (you escape the punishment).
Watch the flap. GET ends in /t/ preceded by a vowel, so before any vowel-initial particle it taps: get up is “ge-dup”, get over is “ge-dover”, get out of is “ge-dow-dov”. A crisp T here is the clearest sign of a non-native rhythm.
Side by side
Every GET phrasal verb, with the one line that keeps it apart from its siblings. Tap any one to open it.
| Phrasal verb | Means | How to remember it |
|---|---|---|
| get upNo object | rise from bed or from a seat | UP = vertical. The literal one. |
| get overInseparable2 meanings | recover from an illness or an upset | You cross OVER to the far side and it is behind you. |
| get throughInseparable3 meanings | endure something to its end, or finish it | THROUGH = you were inside it the whole time. |
| get byNo object | survive with barely enough | BY = just past, nothing to spare. |
| get alongNo object | have a friendly relationship | ALONG = moving together in the same direction. |
| get awayNo object2 meanings | escape, or take a short holiday | AWAY = distance from here. |
| get away withInseparable | do something wrong and avoid the consequences | You take the deed AWAY WITH you and nobody catches you. |
| get backBoth2 meanings | return, or recover something you lost | BACK = to where it was. |
| get back atInseparable | take revenge on someone | BACK AT = you return the harm to its sender. |
| get offNo object3 meanings | leave a bus, train or plane; stop touching | OFF = break contact. The opposite of get on. |
| get onNo object2 meanings | board a bus, train or plane | ON = onto a surface you stand on. |
| get inNo object2 meanings | enter a car or small space; arrive | IN = into an enclosed thing you sit inside. |
| get outNo object2 meanings | leave a car or a building | OUT = exit the enclosed thing. |
| get out ofInseparable | avoid a duty you were supposed to do | You wriggle OUT OF the obligation. |
| get aroundBoth2 meanings | travel from place to place; evade a rule | AROUND = no fixed path — or going around the obstacle. |
| get aheadNo object | make progress, usually in a career | AHEAD = in front of where you were. |
| get rid ofInseparable | eliminate something unwanted | Fixed chunk — never separate it. |
| get togetherNo object | meet socially | TOGETHER = two parties become one group. |
| get atInseparable2 meanings | imply something indirectly; reach | “What are you getting AT?” = what are you aiming for. |
| get intoInseparable2 meanings | become interested in; enter | INTO = you go inside the subject. |