to get at
—| B2-C1 (intermediate to advanced) |—
In North American English, this phrasal verb typically means:
to communicate a message or idea
EXAMPLES:
“I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand what you’re getting at. Could you explain your idea in a different way, please?”
“During the electoral debate, it was clear that he was trying to get at something important, but unfortunately it was not well communicated; he wasn’t making sense.”
Have you ever tried to get at something that someone just didn’t understand? What happened? Let me know in the comments below.
ASSOCIATED WORDS:
Some synonyms of “to get at” include:
to try to say (informal; verb phrase)
to mean (standard; verb)
