1 A2 neutral
To enter a vehicle, building, or enclosed space.
"Quick, get in the car — it's raining!"
inseparable
get in
A2 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To enter a vehicle or place, to arrive home, or to be accepted to a school or organisation.
In plain English
To get inside something, to arrive somewhere, or to be accepted.
What does "get in" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To arrive home or at a destination.
"What time did you get in last night?"
inseparable
3 B1 neutral
To be accepted to a school, club, team, or organisation.
"She applied to three universities and got into all of them."
inseparable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To manage to say or do something within a limited time or opportunity.
"I barely got a word in during the whole meeting."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move into an enclosed space — most senses extend from this.
Actually means
To get inside something, to arrive somewhere, or to be accepted.
Usage tip
When used about elections, 'get in' means to be elected. The separable transitive use means to manage to do something within a time limit: 'I need to get a word in.'
Words that pair with "get in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
car taxi university team word home
How to conjugate "get in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
get in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets in
he/she/it
Past simple
got in
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten in
have + pp
-ing form
getting in
continuous
Hear "get in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "get in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "get in"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
arrive be accepted be elected board enter gain entry
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.