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to get along

to get along

27 2.1
Manage or do well in a situation
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt əˈlɔŋ/
translation icon : arreglárselas
  • All I ask is that you get along with me.
  • people get along

It's essentially like saying that we can't get along on our own.

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Examples

  • Why is it sometimes difficult for people to get along with their brothers and sisters?

    Fiction book (2001)
  • - If I left here, could you get along without me?

  • And it was, it gave us an example of how we need to learn to get along with one another.

  • And we can hear you guys fight, and you guys not getting along makes me sad.

  • I should be glad that she appears to be happy, healthy, and getting along with her husband.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • For two weeks, we can get along without you.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I wondered, for the first time, how Matthew was getting along in the war.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Even for coyotes, though, getting along in winter is not an easy trick.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Music just helps me get along, because without music I don't honestly think I'd still be here, really.

  • In order to succeed in group projects, students must learn to get along with each other.

Synonyms

to do
vsto get along
1.0

Progress or get along in a situation

emphasizes managing and gradual forward movement rather than mere performance
to come
vsto get along
1.1

Make progress or improve in a situation

stresses handling a situation and making steady forward progress
to advance
vsto get along
417 3.4

To help something move forward or become better

leans more to personal coping and steady advancement in situations
to get on
vsto get along
  • UK
279 3.2

Make progress with a project

includes positive development but also everyday coping in situations
to progress
vsto get along
209 2.5

Move forward or get better over time

adds the sense of coping in a situation as well as forward change
to come along
vsto get along
125 2.9

To get better or improve over time

is wider, applying to both coping and gradual forward movement
to come on
vsto get along
119 3.2

Start to get better

can mean the same but also simply managing without clear improvement
to fare
vsto get along
100 5.4

To do well or badly in a situation

covers general coping or forward movement rather than wellbeing focus
to shape up
vsto get along
23 3.2

Start to get better and more complete

is about handling situations and keeping progress rather than shaping result
to make out
vsto get along
  • Informal
20 3.7

To manage or get by during a difficult time

focuses more broadly on coping and moving ahead in a situation

Antonyms

898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

466 3.2

A hard effort to do or finish something difficult

How Well

to thrive
241 3.2
to manage
3.2
to get along
27 2.1
to get by
121 3.1
struggle
466 3.2

Surface Forms

get along infinitive
getting along present participle
gets along third person singular
got along past
got along past participle

Morphology

get + along

The sense 'to manage or make progress' is only partly predictable from 'get' (to move into or obtain) plus 'along' (forward/together); the verb+particle combination yields a metaphorical extension where 'getting along' conveys coping or moving forward. Because the phrasal verb is polysemous (also meaning 'to have a friendly relationship') and the exact sense depends on context, a B1 learner knowing the parts may suspect a related idea but would likely need exposure to confirm the intended meaning.

Etymology

Get along comes from the simple idea of moving forward along a road. If you get along you keep going and make progress, so it now also means 'to manage' or 'to make progress' in a situation.