get out

avoid doing something you should do or don't want to do

B2

What does "get out of sth" mean?

To 'get out of' something means to successfully avoid a duty, task, or obligation — usually one that other people expect you to do. The person finds a way to escape the responsibility, whether through a good excuse, clever timing, or sheer luck. There is often a slightly negative tone, suggesting the person is shirking something they should really do, though the phrase can also be used with admiration or even envy ('How did you get out of that?'). It typically describes avoidance that happens before the duty takes place, not after. You will hear it constantly in everyday conversation about work, chores, social commitments, and responsibilities.

Examples

How to use it

get out of + gerund (-ing)

The most common pattern — the thing being avoided is expressed as an -ing verb phrase following 'of'.

My brother always manages to get out of doing the washing up after dinner.

get out of + obligation noun

When the avoided thing is a clearly obligation-related noun (such as 'jury duty', 'homework', or 'a meeting'), it can follow 'of' directly without a gerund.

She phoned in sick to get out of the Monday morning meeting.

get out of it

When the obligation is already clear from context, 'it' is used as a pronoun object — the full obligation doesn't need to be repeated.

We were all supposed to stay late, but somehow Tom got out of it.

try / manage / want + to get out of + gerund

This phrasal verb commonly follows verbs like 'try', 'manage', and 'want' in the infinitive, since getting out of something often involves effort or intention.

She's been trying to get out of attending her cousin's graduation for weeks.

Common Collocations

get out of doing homeworkget out of workget out of jury dutyget out of a commitmentget out of taking responsibilityget out of a meeting

Common Mistakes

Infinitive instead of gerund

After 'get out of', you must use an -ing form (gerund), not a to-infinitive. This is a very common error because many avoidance verbs in English (like 'want' or 'refuse') are followed by an infinitive.

✗ He got out of to do the presentation.
✓ He got out of doing the presentation.
Confusing 'get out of' with 'get away with'

'Get out of' means you avoid a duty before it happens, usually through an excuse. 'Get away with' means you actually did something — often something wrong — and faced no punishment for it. The two are not interchangeable.

✗ She cheated on the test and got out of it.
✓ She cheated on the test and got away with it.
Using a place or physical noun as the object

If the object is a physical place or vehicle, 'get out of' means to exit or leave, not to avoid. Make sure your object is an obligation, duty, or task to use this sense correctly.

✗ I managed to get out of the gym. (if you mean you avoided going)
✓ I managed to get out of going to the gym.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and common in everyday spoken English worldwide. It often implies a slightly negative judgment — that the person is shirking a duty — though it can also be used neutrally or even admiringly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'get out of' always suggest someone is being lazy or dishonest?

Not always, but it does carry a slight suggestion that the person is avoiding something they probably should do. It can be used neutrally or even admiringly — for example, 'How did you get out of working on the bank holiday?' sounds more like envy than criticism. Context and tone determine whether it sounds negative.

Can 'get out of' be used in the passive, like 'the duty was got out of'?

No — a passive form doesn't work naturally here. Because the subject is always the person doing the avoiding, there's no object to move into the subject position. Stick to the active form: 'She got out of the duty', not the other way around.

Does 'get out of' have other meanings, or is it always about avoiding something?

This is one of three common meanings of 'get out of'. It can also mean to physically exit a place ('get out of the car') or to gain something from an experience ('get a lot out of the course'). A separate section on this page covers those other senses.

What kinds of things can follow 'get out of'?

The object is almost always either a gerund phrase ('get out of writing the report') or an obligation-related noun ('get out of jury duty', 'get out of a commitment'). The -ing pattern is by far the most common. Avoid using a bare noun that isn't clearly obligation-related, as it may shift the meaning to 'exit'.

Is 'get out of' used differently in British and American English?

Not significantly — it's widely understood and used in both varieties of English. The specific obligations mentioned might differ (for example, 'jury duty' is more common in American English, while British speakers might say 'jury service'), but the phrasal verb itself is the same.

Related Phrasal Verbs

stay out of sb/sth

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