get over
Britishverb
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to cross or surmount (something)
the children got over the fence
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(intr, preposition) to recover from (an illness, shock, etc)
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(intr, preposition) to overcome or master (a problem)
you'll soon get over your shyness
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(intr, preposition) to appreciate fully
I just can't get over seeing you again
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(tr, adverb) to communicate effectively
he had difficulty getting the message over
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to bring (something necessary but unpleasant) to an end
let's get this job over with quickly
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Overcome, surmount, as in We have finally gotten over our biases . “Late 1600s”
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Recover from, as in I just got over the flu , or I hope the children get over their parents' divorce quickly . [c. 1700] This usage sometimes appears as get over it , as on a bumper sticker following the 1992 presidential election: “Bush Lost, Get Over It.”
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Also, get over with . Complete, have done with, especially something unpleasant. For example, When I finally got the proofreading over, I was ready for a day off , or I'm glad to get all that dental work over with . It also is put as get it over with , as in I might as well sign the check and get it over with . The first usage dates from the late 1800s, the second from the early 1800s.
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.
De Palma’s movie finale never quite got us there, but maybe for a mystery we’ll never quite get over, that would have been impossible.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
"He's looked miserable, defensive, and complaining. He needs to get over it, and I think we'll see a better, more attractive Nigel in the coming days."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
“It took us a long time to get over it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
I’ll never get over it, none of us will who were in town that day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
“You don’t ever get over that, saying good-bye to a child. No matter how it happens. That’s your flesh and blood.”
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
