get out of

1. Get rid of something, remove, as in Get these cats out of the house , or I can't get this melody out of my head . Also see out of one's system .

2. Elicit or draw out something from someone. For example, I can't get a straight answer out of him , or Getting a contribution out of her is like pulling teeth . [First half of 1600s]

3. Emerge or escape from, as in I hate to get out of bed on cold mornings or He'll be lucky to get out of this mess . [First half of 1500s] Also see get out , def. 1.

4. Go beyond, as in The cat had climbed into the tree; she'd gotten well out of my reach . [First half of 1600s] Also see out of control ; out of sight .

5. Evade or avoid, as in He tried to get out of answering their questions , or Please get out of the way so we can pass . [Late 1800s] Also see out of the way .

6. Extract from, obtain from. For example, You can get a lot of juice out of these oranges , or She got little or nothing out of this investment . It is also put as get the most out of , meaning “use to the greatest advantage,” as in He gets the most out of his staff . [Second half of 1600s] Also see get a bang out of ; get a rise out of ; get mileage out of .

Example Sentences

There was something driving him besides the need to see if he could get out of bed.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m going to set you up as soon as you get out of here,’” he says, pausing for a moment.

From Los Angeles Times

What I see, what I fear, is that they will interpret the election as a green light for Trump do whatever he wants, since he actually did win the popular vote this time, so they should either actively assist him or get out of his way.

From Slate

The film largely involves the adventures of Sivanaindhan and his friend Sekar: their arguments about their favorite movie stars, their plans to get close to the teacher they both have a crush on and their ceaseless attempts to get out of their grueling plantain work.

From New York Times

“It’s spilled over to the point where I get out of my car today and I’m ambushed by a media outlet here at my house,” Strahan said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ditch
• duck
• elude
• escape
• evade
• fend off
• shuffle
• sidestep
• skirt