get along

verb

got along; got along or gotten along; getting along; gets along

intransitive verb

1

a

: to proceed toward a destination : progress

b

: to approach an advanced stage

especially : to approach old age

2

: to meet one's needs : manage

we got along on a minimum of clothing

3

: to be or remain on congenial terms

Synonyms of get along

• cope
• do
• get by
• get on
• make out
• make ends meet
• manage

Examples of get along in a Sentence

most college students can get along with just a few hours of sleep at night

the preparations for the party are getting along just fine

Recent Examples on the Web

Old differences fell away, and the two got along well. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

There is something about community and communication and getting along with each other — and that happens in full movie theaters, and not sitting around living rooms watching on television. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026

How do your colleagues get along with them? —Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026

Just when these two were beginning to get along! —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1683, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for get along

• evensong
• livelong
• overlong
• vietcong
• agung
• belong
• birdsong
• furlong
• headlong
• headstrong
• lifelong
• plainsong

Kids Definition

get along

verb

1

a

: progress

b

: to approach old age

getting along in years

2

: manage sense 4

get along on a small paycheck

3

: to be or remain on pleasant terms