get back

verb

got back; got back or gotten back; getting back; gets back

intransitive verb

1

: to come or go again to a person, place, or condition : return, revert

getting back to the main topic of the lecture

2

: to gain revenge : retaliate

—usually used with at

transitive verb

: to regain possession of : recover

Synonyms

• re-collect
• reacquire
• recapture
• reclaim
• recoup
• recover
• regain
• repossess
• retake
• retrieve

Examples of get back in a Sentence

the distraught owner cried that she would do anything to get back her lost dog

Recent Examples on the Web

As for the long term, Kansas needs to do a better job in the portal and also get back to finding high school prospects who can develop in the program. —Cj Moore, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025

Through a contract with the U.S. Department of Education, researchers were collecting valuable data on this intervention to help educators in other states and communities apply this method in their schools, giving vulnerable students a better chance to get back on track with reading. —Sara Schapiro, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

This is a story about Matt getting back up after a major blow. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 25 Feb. 2025

Charlie Kaufman is getting back in the director’s chair. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for get back

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

get back

verb

1

: to return to a person, place, or condition

getting back to our first topic

2

: to get revenge

get back at him for the insult

3

: to regain possession of