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

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

Spurs were flat against Chelsea and, based on that performance, Everton will get at least a point.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

I can hear the record at home — what I don’t get at home is a sense of the person.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Chances was good that this was gonna be the only shot I was gonna get at riding on a train, so falling asleep was jus’ ’bout a tragedy.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Related Words

• ascertain
• get hold of