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Showing results for get rid of. Search instead for get+rid+of.
Synonyms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

How does the brain get rid of waste?

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

“Believe me, it is not easy to get rid of 5,000 books,” he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

The Universal Waste Management System, as the device is officially called, uses airflow to get rid of waste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

If not for the humans on hand — the ones they eventually want to get rid of — the students would be lost in confusion.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

“Trying to get rid of me so fast? I thought you were grateful for all the publicity I’ve brought you.”

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.