Get back at
2 meanings · select one to explore
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To take revenge, get even, or retaliate against a person
Example sentence
She only did it to get back at her ex.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Don’t see captions? Click the CC button on the video to turn them on.
Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
Common pattern: get back at + person
- get back at someone
- get back at your ex
- get back at a friend
- get back at your boss
- get back at someone for something
- get back at someone for what they did
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
He wanted to get back at his brother for the prank. ✅ (Correct)
He wanted to get his brother back at for the prank. ❌ (Incorrect)