Phrasal verbs beginning with G

Here is a list of phrasal verbs beginning with the letter G

Get about

This is an inseparable phrasal verb. To get about is to travel.

• My grandmother is 80, but she still gets about a lot.

The phrasal verb ‘get around’ also means the same.

• I am getting old. I can’t get around as much as I would like to.
• The suburban trains are the best way to get around in Mumbai.

When rumors get around, they spread.

• The word got around that they were splitting.

To get around a problem is to escape its consequences.

• Don’t worry about the problems with the catering service. We will get around that.
• We must do something to get around this problem.

Get away

This is an inseparable phrasal verb.

To get away is to leave, escape or have a holiday.

• The thieves got away with the stolen jewels.

• The girl tried to catch the dragonfly but it got away.
• We are planning to get away at Christmas.

Get away with

To get away with something is to escape punishment after doing something.

• How can he get away with cheating on his wife like that?
• You can’t get away with a nasty remark like that.
• He got away with a fine.

To get away with something is to do something although it is not the best way to do it.

• I don’t think we can get away with just one coat of paint on that wall.

Get back

This is an inseparable phrasal verb. To get back is to return.

• She said that she would get back in two hours.
• Susie is not in at the moment. I will tell her when she gets back.

To get something back is to recover it.

• I don’t rent my books to anybody because I know that I will never get them back.

Get by

To get by is to live with very little money or to deal with a situation with great difficulty.

This expression is usually followed by the preposition on or with.

• They get by on little money.
• I don’t earn much. I just manage to get by.
• I don’t think we can get by without a computer and internet connection.

To get by is to go past.

• We moved aside so that they could get by.

Get in

To get in is to enter a place.

• Get in. I will drop you at the railway station.

Get into something

To get into something is to become involved in it.

• He got into trouble because he hadn’t paid his tax.
• If you spend more money than you earn, you will soon get into debt.

Get off

To get off a vehicle is to leave it.

• We got off the bus because there was no room on it.

Note that ‘on’ and ‘off’ are used to talk about travel using buses, trains, planes, bikes and horses.

Get on with

To get on with something is to make progress in it.

• How is Tony getting on with his studies?
• I did face some problems at first, but now I am getting on well at my office.

Get on

To get on a train, bus, plane or horse is to take a place in it or on it.

• Get on. The train is about to leave.

Get on with / get along with

To get on with somebody is to have a friendly relationship with them.

• She doesn’t get on with her colleagues.

Get out

To get out is to leave a place.

• She asked me to get out.
• We have to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

When word gets out, it stops being a secret.

• If word gets out, it will ruin his budding career.
• When word got out that he was a drug addict, his company sacked him promptly.

Get through

When you get through to somebody, you manage to contact them.

• I couldn’t get through to her on the phone. I tried calling her several times, but she didn’t answer the phone.

To get through an exam is to pass it.

• The test was too tough for me. I don’t know if I will manage to get through it.

Give away

To give something away is to give it to people who might need it.

• Before he went on that pilgrimage, he gave away all his money.
• I had a lot of clothes that I don’t wear, so I gave them away.

Give in

To give in is to surrender.

• He is very brave. He won’t give in no matter what.

Give out

To give something out is to distribute it.

• Ask the boys to give out the pamphlets.

Give up

When you give up something you stop doing it.

• The doctor has asked me to give up smoking.

Glam up

To glam yourself up is to dress attractively.

• She glammed herself up for the party.

Go about something

When you go about something, you do it in your usual way.

• It was just another Monday morning and I went about my daily activities as usual.

To go about something is to deal with it.

• How did you go about finding that job?

Go off

When an alarm goes off, it is activated. When a bomb goes off, it explodes.

• I was late for work because the alarm didn’t go off.
• The bomb went off a few meters from the school.

When milk or meat goes off, it becomes unfit for consumption.

• I think the milk has gone off. I forgot to put it in the fridge.

Go off somebody

When you go off somebody, you stop liking them.

• I went off Julie when I realized that she had cheated on me.

Go on

When you go on doing something, you continue doing it.

• Although he was tired, he went on working.

When something goes on, it continues.

• The show must go on.