to get at
194
4.1
- phrasal verb
- /ɡɛt æt/
:
acceder a
- You ask a question that gets at a potentially major problem with the proposal.
- get at the truth
- get at the root
- get at the heart
Your brain has trouble getting at that concept.
- Your brain has trouble getting at that concept.
- Well, that's where you get at this interesting discussion.
Examples
-
Your brain has trouble getting at that concept.
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The big question I'm trying to get at is this.
-
The main thing here is to get at what people are like.
-
And it can be useful to get at your personal why.
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But we must go far beyond those individual behaviors to get at the "cure."
Academic text (2000) -
Is it not illusionary to believe one can ever get at anything called the "real self"?
Academic text (1998) -
Well, that's where you get at this interesting discussion.
-
I assume that you're getting at something.
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I don't understand what you're getting at.
-
It's important to get at the main idea in the text before answering the questions.
Synonyms
∞
2.4
Reach a goal, place, or state after effort
497
3.4
To reach and use something, often after getting permission
66
3.2
To contact a person or obtain something you need
24
2.5
To take something in your hand
Antonyms
How Reachable
Surface Forms
Morphology
get + at
There is a loose, metaphorical link from the literal sense of 'get' (reach/obtain) plus the particle 'at' (targeting) to the idea of "reaching" or influencing someone, but the specific sense of attempting to influence or corrupt (especially by bribery) is not directly predictable from the constituents. The phrase is polysemous and uses a metaphorical extension of 'reach' to mean 'influence', so learners who know the words may sense a relation but would generally need prior exposure to this exact sense.
Etymology
Get at comes from the simple picture of moving in to reach something that is at a place. If you must touch a lightbulb you have to get at it by getting close, so the phrase means 'to reach' or 'gain access to' something.