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

All these cowboys are starting to get along! —William Earl, Variety, 12 June 2026

Scenes like the one last Thursday show this is a group that gets along, and the Lions are banking on that translating to the field Sundays. —Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Because that dream doesn’t get along nicely with reality. —Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026

Blending friend groups in a single room is one thing, but add in the awkward scenario of inviting people who legitimately don’t get along to the same party, and the tension can feel palpable. —Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 4 June 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