get around — news spreads
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+informaloccasional
if news or information gets around, many people hear about it.
Say it like a native
Textbook Information of this nature tends to become widely known very quickly.
Native Word gets around fast.
'Get around' (of news) is the natural idiom; the formal version is sociology.
Pattern: get around (that...)
In use
- It didn't take long for the news of their engagement to get around.communication
- If something important happens in a small town, it usually gets around very quickly.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The news got around to everyone fast.
✓ The news got around fast. / Word got around.
'Get around' (news) is intransitive — don't add 'to everyone'.
Common collocations
word/news gets around— word, news, fast, quickly
Don't confuse it
'Get around' is about information spreading, while 'keep quiet' means not telling anyone.
Related
- get around (travel locally) — Another meaning of 'get around' is 'travel locally'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.