1 B1 neutral
To move toward someone in a threatening or aggressive way; to attack.
"The dog came at me suddenly as I walked past the gate."
inseparable
come at
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To attack or move toward someone in a threatening way; or to approach a problem from a particular angle.
In plain English
To suddenly move toward someone to attack them; or to think about a problem in a certain way.
What does "come at" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To approach or consider a problem, question, or topic from a specific angle or perspective.
"Let's come at this issue from a completely different angle and see if that helps."
inseparable
3 C1 idiomatic informal
(Usually in 'what are you coming at?', dialectal) To mean or imply something.
"I'm not sure what you're coming at — can you be more direct?"
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Transparent in the physical sense: to come toward a person or thing.
Actually means
To suddenly move toward someone to attack them; or to think about a problem in a certain way.
Usage tip
The attack sense is very common and vivid ('he came at me with a knife'). The 'approach a problem' sense is common in academic and professional speech ('let's come at this from a different angle'). Both senses are important for B1–B2 learners.
Words that pair with "come at"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
knife fists different angle problem issue question
How to conjugate "come at"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
come at
I/you/we/they
3rd person
comes at
he/she/it
Past simple
came at
yesterday
Past participle
come at
have + pp
-ing form
coming at
continuous
Hear "come at" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "come at" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.