Definition

1. Intransitive Phrasal Verb:
   • To move around or travel from place to place: To be physically mobile and able to go to different locations, especially after an illness or in a specific area.
   • To become widely known or circulated: For news, information, or a story to spread among people.

Usage and Examples

• Intransitive Phrasal Verb (To move/travel):
  • Despite his age, he still gets about quite well. (He is still physically mobile and travels to different places.)
  • How do you get about in the city without a car? (How do you travel/move around the city?)
• Intransitive Phrasal Verb (To become known):
  • The news of their engagement got about very quickly. (The news spread rapidly among people.)
  • Rumors have been getting about that the company is closing. (Rumors are circulating.)

Advanced Usage

• "To get about a bit": An informal expression meaning to travel to many different places or to have a lot of varied experiences.
  • He's really gotten about a bit in his career, working on three continents. (He has traveled and worked in many different locations.)

Variants and Related Words

• Get around: A very close synonym with identical meanings for both "to move/travel" and "to become known."
  • She uses a bicycle to get around town.
  • Word got around that the party was cancelled.
• Circulate (verb): To move around or to spread among people (often for news or information).
• Travel (verb): To go from one place to another.

Synonyms

• Move around: To go to various places.
• Spread: To become widely known (for information).
• Circulate: To move around an area or among a group.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Get around to (something): To finally find the time to do something.
  • I finally got around to reading that book.
• Get over (something): To recover from an illness or an unpleasant experience.
  • It took her weeks to get about after getting over the flu. (This shows a connection: recovering health allows one to get about again.)

Related Idioms

• Get out and about: To leave one's home and go to different places, especially for social activities or after being confined.
  • After the surgery, she was eager to get out and about again.

Verb

1. move around; move from place to place
   • How does she get around without a car?