get back at

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌɡet ˈbæk æt/
US: /ˌɡet ˈbæk æt/

  1. To do something bad to someone because they have done something bad to you.

    1. I will get back at him for lying to me because it's not right to lie.
    2. She tried to get back at her brother for reading her diary by hiding his favorite video game.

  2. To take revenge on someone; to retaliate.

    1. I want to get back at my neighbor after he stole my newspaper yesterday.
    2. He plotted to get back at the company that fired him by leaking confidential information.

Synonyms

avenge retaliate revenge

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "get back at" in English means: To do something bad to someone because they have done something bad to you., To take revenge on someone; to retaliate..

The phonetic transcription of "get back at" is /ˌɡet ˈbæk æt/ in British English and /ˌɡet ˈbæk æt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "get back at": avenge, retaliate, revenge.

Example usage of "get back at": "I will get back at him for lying to me because it's not right to lie.". More examples on the page.