to get out of a rut
1
4.2
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
salir de la rutina
- After taking a break and reflecting, he finally found a way to get out of a rut.
Examples
-
My strategy for getting myself out of a rut is to sit at my desk reminding myself of what the problem is, reviewing my notes, generally filling my head with the issues and terms, and then I just get up and go do something relatively mindless and repetitive.
Blog text (5) -
Sometimes it was because, as their leader, I needed to get out of a rut.
Blog text (21) -
Gets Real: 5 Ways to Get Out of a Rut
Blog text (23) -
It gets you out of a rut.
-
To improve her creativity, she decided to try new hobbies and get out of a rut.
-
When life feels monotonous, it's important to seek change and get out of a rut.
Synonyms
5
5.3
To start doing your normal work and activities after a break
2
7.2
Able to work well again after a break
1
6.3
To work smoothly and easily after a short time
To get out of the same boring routine
To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow
Antonyms
How Different
13
4.6
- Informal
1
4.2
1
1.6
354
1.0
- Informal
133
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrasal sequence 'get out of' clearly means 'escape from' or 'leave' and 'rut' denotes an entrenched, monotonous pattern, so the combined meaning 'escape from a stuck/bored situation' is directly derivable. This follows regular English composition (phrasal verb + noun phrase) and is a common cross-linguistic metaphor, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Get out of a rut comes from the image of a cart or car whose wheels are stuck in a deep groove or rut in the road, so it is hard to move. That's why to get out of a rut means 'to escape a boring or stuck situation'.