
Phrasal verbs are an important feature of the English language. The meaning of a phrasal verb often bears no relation to the meaning of either the verb or the particle which is used with it. Many phrasal verbs have several different meanings.
Gear up (to prepare for something that you have to do)
Public Health Inspectors are already gearing up to cope with an increased workload.
Get about (to travel to a lot of different places)
When you go abroad you try to get about a bit, don’t you?
Get across (to successfully communicate an idea to other people)
Due to the lockdown we find it difficult to get across to other people.
Get ahead (to be successful in the work you do)
Women find it difficult to get ahead in politics.
Get along (to like each other on friendly terms)
Some of us cannot get along with our neighbours.
Get around (to persuade someone to do what you want by being kind to them)
Don’t think you can get around me by giving me presents.
Get at (to criticize someone in an unkind way)
Nora kept getting at me and I really didn’t know the reason.
Get away (to leave a place or a person)
I walked to the beach to get away from the crowd.
Get away from (to talk about something different from what you should be talking about)
I think you’re getting away from the main issue.
Get away with (to succeed in not being punished)
The children played truant thinking that they could get away with it.
Get back (to return to a place after you have been somewhere else)
What time did you get back last night?
Get back! (Move away!)
Get back or you’ll get hurt!
Get back into (to begin doing something again after not doing it for a period of time)
Joe worked as a practising lawyer for two years but eventually decided to get back into teaching at the Law College.
Get back to (to talk to someone on the telephone)
He said he would get back to me in the afternoon.
Get by (to have just enough money to pay for the things you need)
He didn’t know how to get by as a daily-paid worker.