get rid of

Idioms  

1. Also, be rid of. Eliminate, discard, or free oneself from. For example, It's time we got rid of these old newspapers, or He kept calling for months, but now we're finally rid of him. The first expression dates from the mid-1600s, the second from the 1400s. Also see get out of, def. 5.

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Example Sentences

Hydrogen peroxide will get rid of algae blooms if enough is used, he said, but it has to be mixed into the water appropriately.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

Toby said: "Obviously, it's kind-of annoying but there are going to be ways around it and it doesn't get rid of the stuff on social media."

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

"All he has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn't have that kind of pressure," he said of Macron.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

The question is not: Can we get rid of it this year?

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

“Um, well, to get rid of a ghost, you have to figure out what it wants,” he said, hoping that he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• dispose of
• dump
• eliminate
• remove