Get At

Pronunciation: /ɡɛt æt/

Definitions of get at

verb to reach or gain access to something

Example Sentences

A1 I can't quite get at what you're trying to say.

A2 The cat is trying to get at the toy under the couch.

B1 I need to get at the bottom of this issue before making a decision.

B2 The detective was determined to get at the truth of the matter.

C1 The scientist's research aims to get at the root causes of climate change.

C2 The journalist's investigation was able to get at the heart of the corruption scandal.

preposition used to indicate the object of an action or effort

Example Sentences

A1 I can't quite get at the top shelf.

A2 The cat is trying to get at the bird in the cage.

B1 I need to figure out how to get at the root of the problem.

B2 The detective was determined to get at the truth no matter what.

C1 The journalist's investigation aimed to get at the heart of the corruption scandal.

C2 Through careful analysis, the researcher was able to get at the underlying causes of the disease.

Examples of get at in a Sentence

formal It took me a while to get at the root of the problem.

informal I finally figured out how to get at the information I needed.

slang I can't seem to get at what she's trying to say.

figurative The detective tried to get at the truth behind the mysterious disappearance.

Grammatical Forms of get at

• past tense: got at
• plural: get at
• comparative: more get at
• superlative: most get at
• present tense: get at
• future tense: will get at
• perfect tense: have got at
• continuous tense: getting at
• singular: gets at
• positive degree: get at
• infinitive: get at
• gerund: getting at
• participle: got at

Origin and Evolution of get at

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English, Old Norse, Old English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'get at' originated in Middle English as a combination of the Old Norse word 'geta' meaning to obtain or reach and the Old English word 'at' meaning towards or in the direction of.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'get at' has evolved to mean to imply reaching or obtaining something, often in a figurative sense such as trying to understand or uncover something hidden or difficult to access.