get out of
Idioms-
Emerge or escape from, as in I hate to get out of bed on cold mornings or He'll be lucky to get out of this mess . [First half of 1500s] Also see get out , def. 1.
-
Go beyond, as in The cat had climbed into the tree; she'd gotten well out of my reach . [First half of 1600s] Also see out of control ; out of sight .
-
Evade or avoid, as in He tried to get out of answering their questions , or Please get out of the way so we can pass . [Late 1800s] Also see out of the way .
-
Elicit or draw out something from someone. For example, I can't get a straight answer out of him , or Getting a contribution out of her is like pulling teeth . [First half of 1600s]
-
Get rid of something, remove, as in Get these cats out of the house , or I can't get this melody out of my head . Also see out of one's system .
-
Extract from, obtain from. For example, You can get a lot of juice out of these oranges , or She got little or nothing out of this investment . It is also put as get the most out of , meaning “use to the greatest advantage,” as in He gets the most out of his staff . [Second half of 1600s] Also see get a bang out of ; get a rise out of ; get mileage out of .
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.
One retired judge who had cameras in her courtroom told me that only once did an attorney get out of line; she put him in his place and such behavior never happened again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 12, 2026
“It’s important to get out of the way of the business. Stop being the owner. Get out of their hair and find something else to do,” said Ransom, who volunteers with the U.S.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
“What does the man get out of this arrangement?” he asked.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
And with that, it’s time for me to get out of your hair.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2026
I barely managed to get out of his way before he shoved past me, making a beeline for one of the hatches that led belowdecks.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
