get across — communicate clearly
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to successfully explain an idea or message so that people understand it
Say it like a native
Textbook I struggled to convey my message effectively to the audience.
Native I struggled to get my point across.
'Get across' is the natural verb for communicating an idea; 'convey my message effectively' is presentation-coach speak.
Pattern: get (something) across (to someone)
In use
- She used simple language to get her point across to the class.communication
- In group discussions, it's important to get your opinions across clearly so everyone understands your point of view.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I want to get my idea across to clearly.
✓ I want to get my idea across clearly.
Drop the 'to' — 'get it across clearly'.
Common collocations
get + idea + across— your point, the message, an idea, clearly
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'get over' (to recover from something) or 'get by' (to manage).