From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishget at somebody/something phrasal verb1 CRITICIZEcriticize to keep criticizing someone in an unkind way Why is he always getting at me? He felt he was being got at by the other students.2 be getting at somethingCLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTAND to be trying to say something in a way that is difficult for other people to understand What are you getting at, Helen? Do you see the point I’m getting at?3 REACHreach to be able to reach something We had to move the washing machine out to get at the wiring behind it.4 FIND OUTinformation to discover information, especially the truth about a situation I was determined to get at the truth.5 threaten informalTHREATEN to use threats to influence the decision of people who are involved in a court case Do you think some of the jury have been got at? → get→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
get at • I never felt deprived, if that's what Winifred Shalcross is getting at.• I was trying to get at least enough money for the precinct work.• They use him to get at me.• It is much more difficult to get at property profits than at share profits - everyone has to live somewhere.• The squirrel did not chew bark to get at sap or something else.• Another way of getting at the question of disciplinary spaces is to ask about the boundaries of the discipline.• Even worse, some think public relations stands in the way of getting at the real facts.• They tore the fence down to get at us.be getting at something• But I knew what they were getting at...• I never felt deprived, if that's what Winifred Shalcross is getting at.• Let me try to explain what I am getting at.• She wondered what on earth he could be getting at.• Try to identify the heart of the matter the question is getting at.• Half the time it wasn't Clemence she was getting at - it was me.• Propaganda could be effective - this was what Eliot was getting at - only by ceasing to be mere propaganda.• I am sure he is the toad behind the unprecedented negative media coverage we are getting at the moment. 