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to get past

to get past

270 3.0
Manage to move beyond a problem or a bad feeling
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt pæst/
translation icon : superar
  • He needs to find a way to get past his fear of public speaking before the big presentation.
  • need to get past
  • never get past
  • get past the first

I, I, I can't get past seeing my buddy killed.

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Examples

  • But the most important thing is that we got a chance to work together, to get past our differences, right?

  • How do you help someone get past denial?

  • And then once I got past that, I said, OK, I want more.

  • We're just going to try to get past that and move on.

  • I think once they get past this first couple days, yeah.

  • But until you get past this, it's just not going to work.

  • Others were surprisingly capable of getting past the problems and really liked the class.

    Academic text (2006)
  • I would say that we are now finally getting past the need for such polemics.

    Academic text (2002)
  • At the entrance to the Sewee Club, he had some trouble getting past the security gate.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • But her years of experience have allowed her to get past awkward first impressions and cement the client relationship.

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

to overcome
vsto get past
429 2.9

Deal with and defeat a problem or fear

stresses leaving the problem and progressing to a new state
to get over
vsto get past
340 2.8

Recover from an illness, disappointment, or other difficulty

covers handling obstacles and leaving bad feelings behind generally
to get through
vsto get past
332 2.8

To reach a place or goal after overcoming problems

focuses on clearing obstacles or feelings rather than just reaching
to come through
vsto get past
218 3.4

To get through a hard time and be okay

is also used for leaving problems and feelings and moving on
to break through
vsto get past
45 4.2

To overcome a difficulty after many tries and succeed

covers leaving obstacles or feelings even if struggle was brief
to move beyond
vsto get past
29 4.3

To go past a problem and start something better

focuses on clearing an obstacle or bad feeling rather than forward change
to surmount
vsto get past
6 6.3

To deal successfully with a difficulty like a problem or barrier

is more everyday, focusing on leaving problems and feelings behind
to outride
vsto get past
8.1

To survive a difficult time or problem

focuses on actively leaving a problem or bad feeling behind

Antonyms

1.2

To stop trying to do something or accept defeat

898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

How Resolved

to let go
381 3.7
to move on
670 3.1
to get past
270 3.0
to get through
332 2.8
to cope with
150 2.9
to struggle
851 2.8

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

get + past

The meaning is directly inferable from 'get' (arrive/come to) plus 'past' (beyond), so the sense of moving beyond or overcoming an obstacle follows a straightforward motion-to-abstract extension. This compositional phrasal-verb pattern is common in English (and in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will very likely be able to understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrasal verb get past comes from a simple picture: get means to move and past means beyond, like walking around a fence or a person who blocks your way. So, when you 'get past' a problem or a feeling, you have moved beyond it and it no longer stops you.