1.
to enter a place or a car
“How did the burglar get into the house?”
“Get into the car, please.”
“I can't get into my locker.”
Synonyms: to enter, to go into
Phrasal verb
What does get into mean?
Meaning: to enter a place; to start liking something
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Get into = to enter (a place, a car, a school). How did you get into the house? It also has a very common figurative meaning: to start liking something. I'm getting into rock music = I'm starting to love rock music. It is not separable.
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to start liking an activity a lot
figurative“I'm getting into K-pop.”
“She got into yoga last year.”
Synonyms: to become interested in, to take up
3.
to be accepted by a school or university
common“He got into Oxford.”
“Did you get into your first-choice school?”
Synonyms: to be admitted to, to be accepted
Word order
Inseparable
The object goes after the particle, never between the verb and the particle.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- get into
- Past Simple:
- got into
- Past participle:
- got into (UK) / gotten into (US)
- -ing form:
- getting into
Common mistakes to avoid
Get into or go into?
Get into often shows that entering is difficult or needs a way in (a car, a locked door). Go into = simply to enter. How did he get into the room? (how did he manage it?) / She went into the room (she just walked in).
Not separable
Get into is not separable. Get into the car ✓ / Get the car into ❌. The object always comes after into.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: get into
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Frequently asked questions
What does get into mean?+
Get into has three main meanings: (1) to enter a place (get into the car); (2) to start liking an activity (get into music); (3) to be accepted by a school or university (get into university).
What is the difference between get into and get in?+
Get in can be used with no object: Get in! Get into always needs an object: get into the car. With a car, both work: get into the car / get in the car.
Is get into separable?+
No, it is not separable. Into always stays next to get. Get into the house ✓ / Get the house into ❌. With a pronoun: get into it ✓.
How do you say you were accepted by a university?+
Say get into university. He got into a top university = a very good university accepted him. Get accepted into is also correct, but more formal.
What does get into trouble mean?+
It means to do something wrong and have problems because of it. Don't get into trouble at school! = be good at school! It is a very common phrase at school and at home.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/get-into
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.