get in
phrasal verb·5 senses·particle in
Meanings
Enter a car or building
Why “in”? You reach a place and become present there. The train gets in, you check in, or the news comes in.
“Get in the car, we're late.”
“The children got in the taxi.”
“The kids got in through the back gate.”
Arrive at a destination
“What time does your flight get in?”
“The train gets in at half past six.”
“The ferry gets in at the harbour.”
Be accepted to a school or team
Why “in”? You step inside the circle. To be in is to belong or take part.
“She got in to her first-choice university.”
“He got in to the school choir.”
“Only twenty applicants got in this year.”
Buy a supply of something
Why “in”? Walls close around something. What is in is held inside.
“We need to get more milk in.”
“The cafe got extra bread in.”
Win an election
“Their party got in with a small majority.”
“The green candidate got in by ten votes.”
Don't confuse with
Get in means enter a car or building. Get out means leave a room, car or building.
Test yourself
“Get in the car, we're late.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
get out
A contrast learners often mix up
Leave a room, car or building; Become known publicly, often by accident; Go out socially; Manage to escape from a situation; Remove a stain or mark from something; Produce or manage to say words; Publish or release something to the public
ask in
Same in pattern: arrival
Invite someone to enter your home
barge in
Same in pattern: arrival
Enter a place rudely without permission
bask in
Same in pattern: inside
Take great pleasure in attention, success or warmth
be in
Same in pattern: inside
Be present at home or at work
blend in
Same in pattern: inclusion
Look or behave like the people around you
box in
Same in pattern: inside
Surround tightly with little room
break in
Same in pattern: arrival
Enter a building illegally by force
Tell it apart
Side-by-side comparisons with the verbs learners most often confuse for “get in”.
Practice “get in” in Sink In
Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.