1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To succeed in communicating an idea or message so that others understand it clearly.
"The teacher struggled to get the concept of irony across to the younger students."
separable
get across
B1 neutral separable transitive
To communicate an idea or message successfully so that others understand it.
In plain English
To make someone understand what you mean.
What does "get across" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To physically move from one side of something to the other.
"We couldn't get across the river because the bridge was flooded."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To get something across — to carry it from one side to the other, as if crossing a gap.
Actually means
To make someone understand what you mean.
Usage tip
Very common in both British and American English. The key sense is successful communication. Also has a literal sense of crossing from one side to another. The separable form is standard: 'get the point across', 'get it across'.
Words that pair with "get across"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
message point idea meaning importance concept
How to conjugate "get across"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
get across
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets across
he/she/it
Past simple
got across
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten across
have + pp
-ing form
getting across
continuous
Hear "get across" in the wild
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Other ways to say "get across"
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