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Synonyms

get it

Idioms  
  1. See catch it .

  2. Understand something, as in He claims his plan is reasonable, but I'm not sure I get it . This synonym for catch on was popularized during the 1980s through a televised political debate in which presidential nominee Ronald Reagan told his opponent, You just don't get it, do you ? This particular phrase has since been repeated in numerous contexts where one is expressing exasperation at someone's failure to understand something. The phrase is also put in the past tense, got it , meaning “understood.” For example, We're leaving tomorrow.—OK, got it . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s] Also see get the message .


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.

“I feel like they are rushing and just want to get it done,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026

Maybe because an analyst at a second-tier firm who boldly goes where no one has gone before could live long and prosper if they even temporarily get it right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

“If her first application gets rejected, then she can file a slightly different one, and get a different examiner, and get it through. She’s probably put about $100K into this process.”

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026

This is likely to depend on where you get it.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

Dodger saw it too, and he nearly knocked Akira over hurrying up the pool steps to get it.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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