get on
Britishverb
-
Also (when preposition): get onto. to board or cause or help to board (a bus, train, etc)
-
(tr) to dress in (clothes as specified)
-
(intr) to grow late or (of time) to elapse
it's getting on and I must go
-
(intr) (of a person) to grow old
-
to approach (a time, age, amount, etc)
she is getting on for seventy
-
(intr) to make progress, manage, or fare
how did you get on in your exam?
-
to establish a friendly relationship
he gets on well with other people
-
to continue to do
get on with your homework!
interjection
-
Also, get upon . Climb on, mount. For example, They say one should get back on a horse as soon as one's fallen off . [Early 1600s]
-
See get along , def. 1.
-
See get along , def. 2.
-
See get along , def. 4. Also see along in years .
-
, etc. Prosper or succeed, as in Her inheritance has helped her get on in society , or Dad asked if Bill was getting on in the company . [Early 1800s]
-
get on with it . Move ahead, pursue one's work. For example, We've spent enough time talking about it; now let's get on with it . [Early 1800s]
-
get on for . Advance toward an age, amount, time, and so on. For example, It's getting on for noon, so we'd better eat lunch . This usage is often put in the participial form, getting on for . [Mid-1800]
-
See turn on , def. 3. Also see the subsequent entries beginning with get on .
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.
The "Your First Home" scheme, announced on Saturday, aims to help first-time buyers in England get on the housing ladder with a small deposit.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
He can then get on with whatever comes next.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
“I’m just really waiting to hear when he’s going to get on the field, let alone take live BP,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“That’s how desperate marketers are to get on there,” Rosenthal said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
I get on my bike, and Owen yells for Taylor, who’s on the other side of the lot, to catch up.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
