1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context

1000 Phrasal Verbs In Context © Matt Errey 2007

50

1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context G g (2/10)

get at
I didn’t understand the last part of her lecture. Do you know what she
was getting at?

get at

get at sth

I know what he’s getting
at, but he could be
expressing himself better.

✍ ^ Note: Usually

progressive , as in ‘What’s

he getting at?’

get away

We caught a young guy stealing from our shop. He struggled and got

away before the police arrived, but they’re looking for him now.

get away

get away from sb/sth

If possible, I’ll get away

from the office early and

we can meet somewhere.

✍ ^

get away
with

He said he got away with stealing from shops many times when he was

young. He never got caught, and had the sense to stop before he was.

get away with sth

The students didn’t get
away with cheating in the
exam. They were caught.

✍ ^

get back
Can I borrow your book after you get it back from John? get sth back^
get sth back from sb

If we don’t get our market
share back soon, we’ll be
in trouble.

✍ ^

get back at
I’ll never forget the way he insulted me in public. One day I’ll get back
at him by making him look stupid in front of lots of people.

get back at sb

After we sacked him, he
tried to get back at us by
saying we avoided tax.

✍  see also:^ pay back^

get back to
We’ve talked enough about this issue, so let’s get back to the main topic
of the meeting.

get back to sth

I think the company needs
to get back to doing what
it does best.

✍  see also:^ come back to,^

return to

get back to
If you don’t have the information you’re asked for, tell the customer
you’ll find out and get back to them as soon as possible.

get back to sb

Our policy is to get back
to customers who email
us within 24 hours.

✍ 

get by
Sally gets by on her salary, but only just. She can’t afford to buy a new
car or travel overseas.

get by

get by on sth

The marketing team can’t
get by on their current
budget. It isn’t enough.

✍ 

get by with
/ without

Her son wants a car, but he’ll have to get by without one until he starts

working. She said he could get by with public transport for now.

get by with sth

get by without sth

He doesn’t need a really
expensive computer. He
gets by with a cheap one.

✍ ^

get down

I can’t talk to Rafael when he’s depressed. He complains about

everything and that gets me down, and I end up feeling unhappy as

well.

get sb down

All the bad news in the
media gets my father
down sometimes.

✍ ^