get it

1. Understand something, as in He claims his plan is reasonable, but I'm not sure I get it . This synonym for catch on was popularized during the 1980s through a televised political debate in which presidential nominee Ronald Reagan told his opponent, You just don't get it, do you ? This particular phrase has since been repeated in numerous contexts where one is expressing exasperation at someone's failure to understand something. The phrase is also put in the past tense, got it , meaning “understood.” For example, We're leaving tomorrow.—OK, got it . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s] Also see get the message .

2. See catch it .

Example Sentences

She adds: “I get it — it’s entertainment. We’re glamorous, and we fight about stupid stuff. I understand that. But I also think that if it’s reality, you have to show what’s really happening.”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, called the decision by the court a “total and definitive victory for President Trump” and said that Trump’s “legal team is moving to get it dismissed once and for all.”

From Salon

"We get it from both sides," he said.

From BBC

So now if a director’s getting impatient, I would say, “I need one more take to get it right.”

From Los Angeles Times

That’s what she did in her bid for the Democratic nomination in 2019-2020, which helps explain why her first campaign folded before she could even get it off the ground.

From Salon

Related Words

• comprehend
• get
• grasp
• know
• recognize
• think
• understand