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
However, after significant turnover in the offseason, teams may now get the hint.
—
Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Why wouldn’t American politicians take the hint that Canada was just not that into them?
—Lawrence B.a. Hatter / Made By History, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Why wouldn’t American politicians take the hint that Canada was just not that into them?
—Lawrence B.a. Hatter / Made By History, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Get/take the hint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%2Ftake%20the%20hint. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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