Dictionary

get back en · VERB

Pronunciation

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Meanings

1. (intransitive) Return to where one came from.
   • The night air may have sobered him a bit by the time they got back to Beattock. 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:
   • He had one hand on the bounce bottle—and he'd never let go of that since he got back to the table—but he had a handkerchief in the other and was swabbing his deadlights with it. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VI, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
   • When I get back from holiday, I expect the house to be tidy.
2. (intransitive, with with or to) Reply (to someone); follow up (with someone).
   • I'll get back to you on that by Wednesday.
   • Please get back with me about his complaint. ["with" here connotes "meet with", physically or virtually.]
   • Please get back to me about his complaint. ["to" here connotes "reply".]
3. (transitive) To retrieve (something); to have (something) returned.
   • I lent her my guitar over the Christmas holidays, and will get it back when the term starts.
4. (often, transitive, with at or against) To do something to hurt or harm (someone) who has hurt or harmed one; to take revenge.
   • I'll get you back for this!
   • I'll get back at all of them for this!
   • I'll get him back for this!
5. (Canada, US, colloquial, transitive) To repay; to return the favor.
   • People are afraid to let you know how much money they have because they don't want to turn into the “Bank of Michelle.” I can understand that. Don't want to get jacked into a “Hey, can I borrow five hundred bucks till next week dude? I'm a little short. I'll get you back though.” 2005, James O'Neill, The Gas Can, →ISBN, page 57:
   • “Hey, Jade, think I can borrow like twenty bucks? The guy who pays me to clean fish is out of town. Gotta buy some dog food.” I looked at Todd—it had been all of a week since our Roughhouse fight, but I guess the money hadn't lasted. I took a twenty out of my wallet. “Thanks, man. I'll get you back after our next fight.” ”Sure," I said, but I knew the money was as good as gone. 2024, Jaed Coffin, Roughhouse Friday: A Memoir, →ISBN:

Forms

Deriveds

get back at · getback · get back to · get back on the horse

Translations (31)

pl wrócić (to return to where one came from) · es recuperar (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · uk поверта́тися (to return to where one came from) · fi palata (to return to where one came from) · fa پَس گِرِفتَن (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · sv komma tillbaka (to return to where one came from) · sv ge igen (to do something to hurt or harm someone) · es vengarse (to do something to hurt or harm someone) · uk поверта́ти (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · uk забра́ти (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · pl odzyskać (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · pl odzyskiwać (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · pl wracać (to return to where one came from) · fi saada takaisin (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · fr récupérer (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · fi kostaa (to do something to hurt or harm someone) · de zurückkommen (to return to where one came from) · mi hoki (to return to where one came from) · uk поверну́тися (to return to where one came from) · sv återfå (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · uk поверну́ти (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · sv återvända (to return to where one came from) · de zurückbekommen (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · sv hämnas (to do something to hurt or harm someone) · sv få tillbaka (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · uk забира́ти (to retrieve, to have an item returned) · fr retourner (to return to where one came from) · ext golvel (to return to where one came from) · de heimzahlen (to do something to hurt or harm someone) · hu visszajön (to return to where one came from) · es regresar (to return to where one came from)