get out of

1. Get rid of something, remove, as in Get these cats out of the house , or I can't get this melody out of my head . Also see out of one's system .

2. Elicit or draw out something from someone. For example, I can't get a straight answer out of him , or Getting a contribution out of her is like pulling teeth . [First half of 1600s]

3. Emerge or escape from, as in I hate to get out of bed on cold mornings or He'll be lucky to get out of this mess . [First half of 1500s] Also see get out , def. 1.

4. Go beyond, as in The cat had climbed into the tree; she'd gotten well out of my reach . [First half of 1600s] Also see out of control ; out of sight .

5. Evade or avoid, as in He tried to get out of answering their questions , or Please get out of the way so we can pass . [Late 1800s] Also see out of the way .

6. Extract from, obtain from. For example, You can get a lot of juice out of these oranges , or She got little or nothing out of this investment . It is also put as get the most out of , meaning “use to the greatest advantage,” as in He gets the most out of his staff . [Second half of 1600s] Also see get a bang out of ; get a rise out of ; get mileage out of .

Example Sentences

Grace isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card, but it covers not just a multitude of sins - it covers them all.

From The Daily Beast

After the Heller decision, criminals across the country thought the case was their get-out-of-jail-free card.

From The Daily Beast

Every person interviewed for this article agreed that a get-out-of-Afghanistan movement was still largely theoretical.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• ditch
• duck
• elude
• escape
• evade
• fend off
• shuffle
• sidestep
• skirt