get

to be given something by someone, such as a gift, a grade, an award, or a punishment, without actively working to obtain it

• receive

  neutral and slightly more formal than get

• be given

  emphasises that no action was taken to obtain the item

• give

  to hand something to someone

• send

  to cause something to go to someone

to go somewhere in order to come back carrying a person or an item that you or someone else needs

• fetch

  same meaning but less common in everyday US and British speech; more literary or used with dogs

• pick up

  especially for people or previously ordered items

• collect

  slightly more formal, common in UK English

to take hold of a person or animal after chasing, searching, or using force

• catch

  broader than get; can mean capturing without force (catching a ball)

• capture

  more formal, emphasises taking control of a person or animal

• seize

  suggests sudden, forceful taking; formal tone

• release

  to set free someone or something that was captured

• free

  to let someone go from a captured state

to make it to a specific place after moving from somewhere else

• arrive

  more formal; always followed by 'at' or 'in'

• reach

  transitive; does not need a preposition before the destination

• leave

  to go away from a place

to make it to a certain stage in time, age, or progress, often step by step — for example, getting to page fifty, getting old, or it getting dark before you arrive home

• reach

  transitive; more formal and does not use 'to': 'reach page fifty'

• become

  only for adjective states; more formal: 'become dark'

• turn

  used with colours and age: 'turn grey', 'turn thirty'

to advance through a task, problem, or activity, making your way toward completion — for example, getting through a difficult exam, or getting past an obstacle at work

• progress

  more formal; used in written reports and evaluations

• advance

  suggests forward movement toward a clear goal; slightly more formal

• proceed

  formal; used mainly in official or procedural contexts

• stall

  to stop making progress

• regress

  formal; to go backwards instead of forward

to catch or begin to suffer from an illness or medical problem — for example, getting a cold, a headache, or food poisoning from something you ate

• catch

  neutral and common; used in both speech and writing

• contract

  formal; used mainly in medical or legal contexts

• develop

  suggests the illness appeared gradually rather than suddenly

• recover from

  to get better after being ill

to enter a new state or condition, usually gradually — for example, getting angry when someone is unfair, or getting dark as the sun goes down

• become

  more formal; used in both speech and formal writing

• grow

  literary; suggests a gradual process (grow old, grow tired)

• turn

  used mainly for colour or weather changes (turn red, turn cold)

• remain

  to stay the same instead of changing

to begin moving away from a place or start an activity, especially after a period of delay — for example, getting going on a road trip, or getting out of the house in the morning

• leave

  neutral; the most direct synonym for 'depart'

• start

  more general; focuses on beginning rather than departing

• set off

  phrasal verb; slightly more formal, used for journeys

• stay

  to remain in place instead of leaving

• stop

  to cease movement

to arrange for something to be done by someone else, or to bring a person or thing into a specific condition — for example, getting a car repaired at a garage, or getting dinner ready for guests

• have

  similar causative meaning but slightly more formal: 'have the car repaired'

• make

  stronger; implies force or obligation rather than arrangement

• cause

  more formal; does not imply active arrangement

to persuade or ask a person to act in a certain way, by talking to them or influencing them — for example, getting a friend to help you move furniture, or getting a child to finish their vegetables

• persuade

  more formal and deliberate; suggests logical argument

• convince

  focuses on changing someone's mind rather than just their actions

• talk into

  phrasal verb; similar register to 'get', implies verbal persuasion

• discourage

  to persuade someone not to do something

• dissuade

  formal; to convince someone against a course of action

to accidentally cause something to happen to someone or something, usually resulting in damage or an unwanted outcome — for example, getting your phone screen cracked after dropping it, or getting your keys locked inside the car

• have

  neutral alternative (e.g. 'had my wallet stolen')

used with a past participle to show that an action happens to someone or something — like the passive 'be' but more common in everyday spoken English; for example, getting paid, getting promoted, or getting caught in the rain

• be

  more formal and neutral; can describe states, not just events

to move yourself or an object from one spot to another, often with effort or care — for example, getting out of a crowded room, climbing onto a high shelf, or crawling under a table during an earthquake

• move

  more general; does not imply effort

• climb

  specific to upward movement using hands and feet

• stay

  opposite of moving from one place to another

• remain

  more formal than 'stay'

to travel somewhere by using a bus, train, plane, taxi, or other form of transport — for example, getting the number 5 bus to school, or getting a taxi home after a party.

• take

  interchangeable in this sense; 'take the bus' is equally common

• catch

  implies arriving on time for a scheduled service

to answer a phone, door, or doorbell when someone calls or arrives — for example, saying 'I'll get it' when the phone rings

• answer

  more formal; used for both phones and doors

• attend to

  formal; implies dealing with a person who has arrived

to be in a situation where you are able to do something you have wanted or hoped to do — for example, getting to meet a famous author, or getting to visit a country you have dreamed about

• be able to

  more neutral; does not imply that the opportunity was desired

• be allowed to

  emphasises permission rather than opportunity

• miss out on

  to not have the opportunity

to understand the meaning of what someone says, writes, or signals; or to be able to hear something clearly enough to make sense of it.

• understand

  more formal; works in both spoken and written registers

• follow

  emphasises keeping up with a sequence of reasoning

• catch

  informal; often used for hearing ('I didn't catch your name')

• miss

  fail to hear or understand ('I missed what you said')

to make a meal or food ready to be eaten, especially by cooking, arranging, or serving it.

• prepare

  more formal; used in writing and instructions

• fix

  informal, especially American English ('fix dinner')

to cover the cost of a purchase, especially as a friendly gesture when you offer to treat someone or handle what you owe.

• cover

  slightly more formal ('I'll cover the bill')

• treat someone to

  emphasises that it is a gift ('Let me treat you to dinner')

to confuse or puzzle someone so much that they cannot understand a situation or figure out what to do — for example, a complicated map that makes you feel lost, or a hard question that leaves a teacher speechless

• confuse

  more neutral and general in register

• baffle

  slightly more formal; suggests complete lack of understanding

• perplex

  formal; describes thoughtful confusion

• clarify

  make something clear so that confusion disappears

to be unable to answer a question or name something, often used in the fixed expression 'you have got me there' — for example, when a quiz question stumps you, or someone asks you something you simply do not know

• stump

  used as a verb; similar meaning but more general ('The question stumped everyone')

• beat

  informal; used in the fixed phrase 'It beats me'

to annoy or irritate someone, especially when the cause builds up over time or happens repeatedly.

• annoy

  more neutral; less informal than 'get to'

• irritate

  slightly more formal; suggests milder but persistent annoyance

• get on someone's nerves

  informal; same register and intensity

to affect someone so deeply that they feel a strong emotion, often making them cry — for example, a sad scene in a film or a moving piece of music that makes you tear up

• move

  more formal; focuses on emotional effect without necessarily implying tears

• affect

  broader; can describe any emotional impact, positive or negative

• touch

  softer; implies gentle emotional effect rather than strong overwhelm

• stir

  more literary; suggests awakening deep emotion

• leave cold

  to fail to affect someone emotionally at all

to be hit by something thrown, fired, or kicked, often causing pain or damage — for example, a ball hitting you during a game, or a stone striking a car windscreen

• hit

  more direct and common; used in all contexts

• strike

  more formal; suggests deliberate or forceful impact

• catch

  informal; especially used for being hit by something thrown or fired

• miss

  to fail to hit the target

to successfully contact someone or receive a signal using a phone, radio, or computer network — for example, calling someone after several failed attempts, or picking up a radio station in a remote area

• reach

  broader; can mean contact by phone, email, or in person

• contact

  more formal; works for any communication method

• connect with

  emphasises successful two-way communication

• lose

  when a signal or connection stops working