get back

verb

got back; got back or gotten back; getting back; gets back

intransitive verb

1
: to come or go again to a person, place, or condition : return, revert
getting back to the main topic of the lecture
2
: to gain revenge : retaliate
usually used with at

transitive verb

: to regain possession of : recover

Examples of get back in a Sentence

the distraught owner cried that she would do anything to get back her lost dog
Recent Examples on the Web Camila Cabello copped to being a proponent of getting back with your ex and discussed her own brief but public reconciliation with longtime boyfriend Shawn Mendes during an appearance on Call Her Daddy. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 Prime Minister Ariel Henry is currently in Puerto Rico, unable to get back to Haiti amid gang violence. Michele Kelemen, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Daniel Day-Lewis retired from acting in 2017, and one of his most prominent film collaborators says the actor has no plans to get back in front of the camera. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Now, Ponder is looking to get back to the grandest stage in Texas high school basketball. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 Jamie Foxx is getting back to business after his mystery health scare in 2023. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Cincinnati finally got back to living on the river. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Just make sure to get back onboard by 3:30 p.m. to take the return trip. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024 Even after a pandemic, our culture continues to shift the burden of medical care to the individual, allows a very small window for recovery from anything and insists everyone get back to work as quickly as possible. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get back was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near get back

Cite this Entry

“Get back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20back. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

get back

verb
1
: to return to a person, place, or condition
getting back to our first topic
2
: to get revenge
get back at him for the insult
3
: to regain possession of

More from Merriam-Webster on get back

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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