ENGLISH THESAURUS & DICTIONARY

get

noun · verb

Words like get

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323 words · noun, verbSort by

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MEANING & USAGE

Definitions & examples

01noun

a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

02verb

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

“She got a lot of paintings from her uncle”

“They acquired a new pet”

03verb

enter or assume a certain state or condition

“He became annoyed when he heard the bad news”

“It must be getting more serious”

04verb

cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition

“He got his squad on the ball”

“This let me in for a big surprise”

33 more meanings

05verb

receive a specified treatment (abstract)

“These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation”

“His movie received a good review”

06verb

reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

“She arrived home at 7 o'clock”

“She didn't get to Chicago until after midnight”

07verb

go or come after and bring or take back

“Get me those books over there, please”

“Could you bring the wine?”

08verb

go through (mental or physical states or experiences)

“get an idea”

“experience vertigo”

09verb

take vengeance on or get even

“We'll get them!”

“That'll fix him good!”

10verb

achieve a point or goal

“Nicklaus had a 70”

“The Brazilian team got 4 goals”

11verb

cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner

“The ads induced me to buy a VCR”

“My children finally got me to buy a computer”

12verb

succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase

“We finally got the suspect”

“Did you catch the thief?”

13verb

come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes)

“He grew a beard”

“The patient developed abdominal pains”

14verb

be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

“He got AIDS”

“She came down with pneumonia”

15verb

communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone

“Bill called this number and he got Mary”

“The operator couldn't get Kobe because of the earthquake”

16verb

give certain properties to something

“get someone mad”

“She made us look silly”

17verb

move into a desired direction of discourse

“What are you driving at?”

18verb

grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of

“did you catch that allusion?”

“We caught something of his theory in the lecture”

19verb

attract and fix

“His look caught her”

“She caught his eye”

20verb

reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot

“the rock caught her in the back of the head”

“The blow got him in the back”

21verb

reach by calculation

“What do you get when you add up these numbers?”

22verb

acquire as a result of some effort or action

“You cannot get water out of a stone”

“Where did she get these news?”

23verb

purchase

“What did you get at the toy store?”

24verb

perceive by hearing

“I didn't catch your name”

“She didn't get his name when they met the first time”

25verb

suffer from the receipt of

“She will catch hell for this behavior!”

26verb

receive as a retribution or punishment

“He got 5 years in prison”

27verb

leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form

“Scram!”

28verb

reach and board

“She got the bus just as it was leaving”

29verb

irritate

“Her childish behavior really gets to me”

“His lying really gets me”

30verb

evoke an emotional response

“Brahms's ‘Requiem’ gets me every time”

31verb

apprehend and reproduce accurately

“She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings”

“She got the mood just right in her photographs”

32verb

earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher

“He drew a base on balls”

33verb

overcome or destroy

“The ice storm got my hibiscus”

“the cat got the goldfish”

34verb

be a mystery or bewildering to

“This beats me!”

“Got me — I don't know the answer!”

35verb

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

“We began working at dawn”

“Who will start?”

36verb

undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)

“She suffered a fracture in the accident”

“He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars”

37verb

make (offspring) by reproduction

“Abraham begot Isaac”

“John fathered four daughters”

Meanings and examples from Open English WordNet 2025. About our sources ↗

WORDS IN USE

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Word combinations

Words that go with “get”

get ready · get home · get better

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Idiom explained

get the ball rolling

Start an activity or process.

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Expressions with “get”

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Explore multiword dictionary entries containing this word. Each has its own meanings and related words.

get at get by get in get it get on get to get up get off