Phrasal verb
get out of
Definition
phrasal verb. to avoid doing something that you do not want to do, often by making an excuse.
phrasal verb. to evade a responsibility, duty, or commitment through various means, often involving a pretext or excuse.
Examples
“I managed to get out of the meeting by saying I was sick.”
“She tried to get out of going to the party because she was feeling very tired.”
“The company attempted to get out of its contractual obligations by citing a minor technicality in the original agreement.”
Examples
simple
“I managed to get out of the meeting by saying I was sick.”
contextual
“She tried to get out of going to the party because she was feeling very tired.”
complex
“The company attempted to get out of its contractual obligations by citing a minor technicality in the original agreement.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form) representing the avoided task.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'escape' (physical) and 'avoid' (general); 'get out of' specifically implies a social or professional duty that the person is trying to dodge.
Pitfall
He got out to do the dishes.
He got out of doing the dishes.
the preposition 'of' is required, and the following verb must be in the -ing form.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out of
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + out + of + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/get-out-of