1 A2 neutral
To leave or exit a physical place or container.
"He struggled to get out of the car because of his injured knee."
inseparable
get out of
A2 neutral inseparable transitive
To exit a physical space, avoid an obligation, or obtain something from someone.
In plain English
To leave a place, avoid having to do something, or get something from someone.
What does "get out of" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 idiomatic neutral
To avoid or escape a duty, commitment, or unpleasant task.
"He always manages to get out of doing the dishes by conveniently disappearing."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
To obtain something from a person or situation, often with difficulty.
"The detective couldn't get a single word out of the suspect."
inseparable
4 B1 idiomatic neutral
To stop having a bad habit or to leave a difficult personal situation.
"It's very hard to get out of the habit of checking your phone first thing in the morning."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To exit from the interior of something — transparent in the physical sense, idiomatic in abstract uses.
Actually means
To leave a place, avoid having to do something, or get something from someone.
Usage tip
Extremely versatile and high-frequency. In the avoidance sense, often implies using an excuse or some cleverness ('get out of doing the washing up'). In the extraction sense ('get information out of someone'), it implies difficulty.
Words that pair with "get out of"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
car bed trouble habit hand control information way
How to conjugate "get out of"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
get out of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets out of
he/she/it
Past simple
got out of
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten out of
have + pp
-ing form
getting out of
continuous
Hear "get out of" in the wild
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Other ways to say "get out of"
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