get back at (someone)
idiom
informal
: to do something bad or unpleasant to (someone who has treated one badly or unfairly)
After he lost his job, he vowed that he would find a way to get back at his old boss.
Examples of get back at (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
China has utilized other economic means to get back at the U.S. over the escalating trade war, including choking off exports of critical minerals and magnets.
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Filip Timotija, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
Lola Consuelos knows just how to get back at her parents.
—Alex Ross, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Stephanie is actually trying to get back at Tad for moving on with her best friend just days after her death.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Tykwer doesn’t bring anything close to the subtlety and shading that Kieslowski would have, in the story of a vigilante teacher (Blanchett) who tries to get back at drug dealers who have infiltrated her school by blowing them up with a bomb, which ends up killing the wrong people.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get back at (someone)
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Filip Timotija, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
Lola Consuelos knows just how to get back at her parents.
—Alex Ross, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Stephanie is actually trying to get back at Tad for moving on with her best friend just days after her death.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Tykwer doesn’t bring anything close to the subtlety and shading that Kieslowski would have, in the story of a vigilante teacher (Blanchett) who tries to get back at drug dealers who have infiltrated her school by blowing them up with a bomb, which ends up killing the wrong people.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get back at (someone)
Cite this Entry
“Get back at (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20back%20at%20%28someone%29. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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