get rid of

idiom

: to do something so as to no longer have or be affected or bothered by (something or someone that is unwanted)

It's time to get rid of this old sweater.

I can't seem to get rid of this cold.

He stayed on talking and talking. She finally got rid of him by saying she had to make dinner.

Examples of get rid of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Still, his decision to get rid of home rule in a state that values small government and is one of the hottest states in the nation took some local officials aback and infuriated outdoor workers and their advocates in some of the hottest regions of the state. —

Kate Cimini, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024 Medicines: Cough medicine, such as Mucinex (guaifenesin), and decongestants help get rid of a runny or stuffy nose and postnasal drip. —

Amanda MacMillan, Health, 3 May 2024 Some activists in the area, including Earth Justice and Florida Rising, want to get rid of the incinerator altogether. —

Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024 The aim: to get rid of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. —

Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024 Most importantly, don’t buy pesticides and spray your backyard to get rid of them. —

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 6 May 2024 What to do: To get rid of them, boric acid, cockroach traps and sticky traps can be used indoors. —

Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024 Glamping is about the desire to get rid of nature’s inconveniences. —

Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 May 2024 That’s because what Brown does with its money — and how the institution or any other school would get rid of them — is hardly straightforward. —

Maureen Farrell, New York Times, 3 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get rid of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.