get around

verb

got around; got around or gotten around; getting around; gets around

transitive verb

1

: circumvent, evade

2

: to get the better of

intransitive verb

1

a

: to find or take the necessary time or effort

—used with to

b

: to give attention or consideration

—used with to

2

: to go from place to place

3

: to become known or current

word got around that he was resigning

Synonyms

• overcome
• defeat
• master
• take
• get
• worst
• beat
• best
• stop
• conquer
• dispatch
• get the better of

Examples of get around in a Sentence

somehow, an inexperienced lawyer managed to get around the media giant's stable of high-priced legal eagles

somehow she managed to get around the rules for paying the sales tax on a car bought out of state

Recent Examples on the Web

Clubs with clever accountants getting around those rules by selling stuff to themselves. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

This approach gets around certain plasma confinement challenges faced by tokamaks, which arise from variations in magnetic coil density around the toroidal ring. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025

Miamians’ transportation expenses ballooned 66% between 2020 and 2023 alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning many locals spend nearly 20% of their income just to get around. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025

But there are ways to get around it. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3

Rhymes for get around

• aboveground
• battleground
• belowground
• paperbound
• turnaround
• ultrasound
• underground
• wraparound
• abound
• aground
• astound
• background

Kids Definition

get around

verb

1

: evade

2

: to do or deal with (something not yet done or dealt with)

will get around to it

3

: to go from place to place

4

: to become known

word got around