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

"What you get at the smaller end is mass -- you know, lots of units -- and that's what we are seeing play out in Ukraine," he added.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

“The most fun you’ll get at the fair is from talking to people,” my friend Matthew, who has several years of renaissance fair experience, told me.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Not the kind you get at a tiny restaurant with exposed brick and a chef who forages.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

They get at least three estimates and ask for recommendations from neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Their house was filled with those protective saint candles you get at the grocery store for a few bucks.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• ascertain
• get hold of