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.
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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 .
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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 .
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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]
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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 .
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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.
“You know, one of those things where the ball got in, and he was doing everything right to turn it, just couldn’t get out of his glove.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
With rip currents, which are "normally quite a narrow channel of water moving out to sea", Ayers said "competent" swimmers should swim parallel to the shore to get out of the flow.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Professors who are Luddites or have used the same syllabus for years sometimes struggle to get out of that state of inertia, Cook said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
You’re not locked in to a bet you can’t get out of.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Papa thanked him for the cards and said, “We’re poor folks and don’t get out of these hills very often; but next year when your circus comes to Tulsa, we’ll try to be there.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
