get at

British  

verb

1. to gain access to

   the dog could not get at the meat on the high shelf

2. to mean or intend

   what are you getting at when you look at me like that?

3. to irritate or annoy persistently; criticize

   she is always getting at him

4. to influence or seek to influence, esp illegally by bribery, intimidation, etc

   someone had got at the witness before the trial

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get at Idioms  

1. Touch, reach successfully, as in Mom hid the peanut butter so we couldn't get at it . [Late 1700s]

2. Try to make understandable; hint at or suggest. For example, I think I see what you're getting at . [Late 1800s]

3. Discover, learn, ascertain, as in We must get at the facts of the case . [Late 1700s]

4. Bribe or influence by improper or illegal means, as in He got at the judge, and the charges were dismissed . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]

5. Start on, begin work on, attend to, as in “Get at your canvassing early, and drive it with all your might” (Mark Twain, letter to his publishers, 1884). [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

get at

"We came up with a somewhat ingenious set of methods to get at something very difficult to analyze in the fossil record."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

Firefighters continued their campaign to pull apart the structure and get at the flames hidden inside as additional crews arrived from across the region to assist with the fire battle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

People might also need to decide what to do with any additional shares they get at a discount through employee stock-purchase programs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

YouTube, websites, podcasts, work—anything I tried worked smoothly, and the speed was, frankly, better than I get at home.

From Barron's ● Jun. 7, 2026

It had been rusting away in the middle, but I was positive I’d get at least another semester out of the poor thing.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Related Words

• ascertain
• get hold of