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

Pratt, who is the author of two books on wildlife and holds lectures on getting along with the natural world, said there is something bigger at stake than removing mountain lions from the Santa Monica or Santa Ana mountains. —Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026

No history of the United States would tell a story in which the federal government and the states have always got along. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Sure, there is a lot of interest in the feuds—are Charles and Harry getting along these days? —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 22 Jan. 2026

And faced with this logic, there is a strong tendency for countries to go along to get along, to accommodate, to avoid trouble, to hope that compliance will buy safety. —Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 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