come at

British  

verb

1. to discover or reach (facts, the truth, etc)

2. to attack (a person)

   he came at me with an axe

3. slang to agree to do (something)

4. slang (usually used with a negative) to stomach, tolerate

   I couldn't come at it

5. slang to presume; impose

   what are you coming at?

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come at Idioms  

1. Get hold of, attain, as in You can come at a classical education with diligent study . [Mid-1800s]

2. Rush at, make for, attack, as in They came at him in full fore . [Mid-1600s]

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Example Sentences

In other words, human evolution may have reached a point where further improvements to the biological "hardware" supporting language would have come at too great a cost to maternal and infant survival.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

The reemergence of the flesh-eating screwworm could not come at a worse time for the beef industry—or cows.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

The competing measures, which have drawn enough verified signatures to qualify for the November ballot, come at a time when the rising cost of healthcare is emerging as a top voter concern.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

But students of the tournament often cite another candidate for that distinction—and it also happened to come at the Azteca, 16 years earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Doss thinks such a day may not come at all.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson