get down

verb

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of get down

transitive verb

1 : to manage to swallow

2 : to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress

the weather was getting her down

3 : to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1 : to alight especially from a vehicle : descend

2 : to give one's attention or consideration —used with to

get down to business

3 a : to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously

b : to have a good time partying

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat.
it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him

Recent Examples of get down from the Web

Glass, the white-haired former high school center, got down into a three-point stance, and Lynch, the 215-pound Oakland Raiders running back, lined up across from him.

— tim rohan, SI.com, "Marshawn Lynch Is Football’s Foremost Ambassador," 10 Apr. 2018
Immediately, fans got down to business trying to uncover the girl’s identity.

— noelle devoe, Seventeen, "Everything We Know About Justin Bieber’s New BFF Baskin Champion," 26 Mar. 2018
Then Arie gets down on one knee and proposes to Lauren.

— melissa locker, Time, "The Bachelor Recap: Arie Proposes, but Becca Gets the Ultimate Revenge," 8 Mar. 2018
Then the boys and girls, hailing from cities and town in the vast areas between the Oregon border and the Tehachapi Mountains, got down to the business of properly arranging letters.

— marcos breton, sacbee, "How do you spell P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E? Some of California's smartest kids find out Wednesday | The Sacramento Bee," 7 Mar. 2018
Goebbels gives a speech, full of loud lies, while in California Thomas Mann gets down to work on his new novel.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Walter Kempowski’s Epic Novel of Germany in Collapse," 21 Mar. 2016
That’s where Reich and Luck can, finally, roll up their sleeves and get down to business.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Frank Reich gearing up to coach 'fearless' Andrew Luck," 28 Mar. 2018
That doesn't prevent her from getting down on herself every now and then.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "Aidy Bryant Responds to Criticism That Her New Movie With Amy Schumer Is Fat-Phobic," 20 Mar. 2018
These Terriers are like your dog that likes to hurl himself against the electric fence to jolt himself awake and then get down to business.

— john powers, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston University edges Boston College in overtime," 17 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'get down.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.