get on

verb

got on; got on or gotten on; getting on; gets on

intransitive verb

1

: get along

was getting on in years

got on well with the boss

get on with the game

2

: to gain knowledge or understanding

got on to the racket

Synonyms

• cope
• do
• get by
• get along
• make do
• make ends meet

Examples of get on in a Sentence

despite his new job's low pay, he was still getting on

find out how the marketing department is getting on with the new ad campaign

Recent Examples on the Web

The film, which is a sequel to the classic 1990 Christmas movie, follows the young and spirited Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who mistakenly gets on a plane headed for New York City while the rest of the family flies to Florida. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2025

Ohtani went 0-for-2 with three walks in NLCS Game 1, getting on base well, but still unable to get his bat going. —MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025

For me, there’s always the perversity of getting on a trendy bandwagon and just liking it for the irony. —Marc Malkin, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025

For most people, the idea of getting on a plane, train, bus, boat, or car to head off for an adventure sounds absolutely dreamy. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for get on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

get on

verb

1

: get along sense 3

they got on well

2

: to start dealing with

I'll get on it right away

3

: to criticize (someone) repeatedly

4

: to grow old