get/take the hint

idiom

: to understand what someone is suggesting when he or she says something in an indirect way
When she told me how much work she had to do, I got/took the hint and left.

Examples of get/take the hint in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Opinion|The real reason the frenzy over Biden is so unsettling Today at 4:10 p.m. EDT Analysis|Pelosi and Democrats to Biden: Maybe take the hint, please? Patrick Marley, Washington Post, 10 July 2024 Will his overbearing roommate take the hint and move out? Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024 Opinion|The Kamala Harris calculus: What do Democrats gain or lose? July 7, 2024 Opinion|What do Democrats do now? July 8, 2024 More From The Post Analysis|Pelosi and Democrats to Biden: Maybe take the hint, please? Perry Bacon, Washington Post, 10 July 2024 Some get the hint and stop the calls, but most don’t. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024 If someone doesn’t take the hint, the orchestra will gradually crescendo. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2024 Hopefully some studio executive out there will take the hint. Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2022 Which means Freeman can’t take the hint: Given the length of those non-negotiations with Team Freeman, Braves officials didn’t want him. Terence Moore, Forbes, 25 June 2022 Merapi's Indonesian brethren did not take the hint, though, as Bromo in the Tengger Caldera continued to erupt throughout early December. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2011

Dictionary Entries Near get/take the hint

Cite this Entry

“Get/take the hint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%2Ftake%20the%20hint. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!