What Does “Get around sb” Mean?
“Get around sb” means to avoid or bypass someone, often by cleverness or trickery. It can also mean to find a way to deal with a person’s rules or restrictions.
Introduction
The phrase “Get around sb” is a common English phrasal verb that people use when they talk about avoiding or bypassing someone, especially when that person tries to stop or restrict you. The Get around sb meaning involves finding a way to deal with or outsmart someone, often in a casual or informal context. This expression is useful in many situations, such as in work, school, or everyday life, when you want to describe how you manage to overcome obstacles posed by another person. Understanding how to use “get around sb” will help you sound more natural when speaking English.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Get around somebody
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To avoid or bypass someone, often by cleverness or trickery
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Get around sb” is a transitive phrasal verb, meaning it requires an object. It is inseparable, so you cannot place the object between “get” and “around.”
Correct pattern: get around + somebody
Incorrect example: get somebody around
How to Use “Get around sb”?
You use “get around sb” when you want to say that you avoid or bypass a person’s control, rules, or authority. It often implies a clever or strategic action to overcome a barrier created by someone else. For example, if a manager sets strict rules, employees might try to “get around” the manager to achieve their goals.
Examples
Imagine you want to leave work early, but your boss says no. You might try to get around your boss by asking a colleague to cover for you.
- She found a way to get around her teacher to finish the project late.
- He tried to get around the security guard to enter the building.
- They managed to get around the rules by using a loophole.
- It’s not easy to get around the manager when he is strict.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse the word order or use the phrase incorrectly by separating the verb and preposition.
- Incorrect: I got my teacher around.
- Correct: I got around my teacher.
- Incorrect: Can you get around?
- Correct: Can you get around the problem?
Differences / Synonyms
“Get around sb” is similar to “bypass sb” or “circumvent sb,” but it is less formal and often implies cleverness or trickery. Unlike “avoid,” which means to stay away completely, “get around sb” means to find a way through or past the person.
- Bypass: More formal, usually means ignoring or going past someone or something.
- Circumvent: Formal, often used in legal or official contexts.
- Avoid: Means to stay away or not meet someone.
Common Collocations
You often use “get around” with specific people or roles in authority or control.
- Get around the teacher – to avoid strict rules or deadlines.
- Get around the boss – to bypass a manager’s restrictions.
- Get around the police – to avoid legal restrictions.
- Get around the rules – to find loopholes or ways to ignore rules.
- Get around security – to bypass guards or controls.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of get around sb:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a simple conversation using “get around sb”:
Anna: The boss said no one can leave early today.
Ben: Well, I found a way to get around him. I asked Sarah to cover for me.
Anna: That’s clever! I might try to get around the rules too.
Practice
Try to fill in the blanks with the correct form of “get around sb”:
- He managed to ________ the teacher to submit his homework late.
- They tried to ________ the security guard to enter the concert.
- It’s hard to ________ the manager when he is very strict.
FAQs
- Q: Can “get around sb” mean to physically move past someone?
A: Yes, but it usually means avoiding their control or rules, not just physically moving past.
- Q: Is “get around sb” formal?
A: No, it is informal and commonly used in everyday conversations.
- Q: Can I use “get around somebody” in writing?
A: Yes, but it fits best in informal or conversational writing.
- Q: What is the opposite of “get around sb”?
A: To face or obey someone’s rules directly without trying to avoid them.
- Q: Is “get around sb” separable?
A: No, it is inseparable; the object must come after the entire phrasal verb.
