get it
Idioms-
See catch it .
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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.
But I get it: You are afraid you have left some giant loophole in your estate planning that could cause delays or worse after you’re gone.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
"And therefore, we are also one of the first to get it back almost in full."
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Seasoned birdwatchers would be quick to say the app doesn't always get it right.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“We haven’t been able to get it out. We can’t put poison out because we have a little dog. So we have put some glue traps or something.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Well! Let me tell you something: Life is long and death is longer, and there is infinite time to get it right.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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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.