get at — suggest or imply
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to try to say or suggest something without saying it directly.
Say it like a native
Textbook I am uncertain as to the point you are attempting to convey.
Native I'm not sure what you're getting at.
'What are you getting at?' is the natural spoken way to ask someone's hidden point; the formal version is stilted.
Pattern: get at + something
In use
- I’m not sure what you’re getting at—can you explain more clearly?communication
- In the discussion, the speaker was getting at the idea that technology can sometimes make life more complicated.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ What do you get at?
✓ What are you getting at?
This sense is usually in the continuous: 'what are you getting at?'.
Common collocations
what + getting at— what you're getting at, exactly, I see, trying to say
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'get' meaning 'understand'.
Related
- get at (reach) — Another meaning of 'get at' is 'reach'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.