get the message

phrase

: understand something that is not being said directly
When she didn't return my phone calls, I finally got the message. [=finally understood that she did not want to talk to me]

Examples of get the message in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The cousin was thankful, but the Rev got the message that the family didn’t need financial help. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Residents in Jefferson and Clear Creek counties are getting the message. — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 Hartley and Dome say that getting the message to students is important. — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 No clue who was blowing the whistle the whole time, but, clearly, nobody got the message. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for get the message

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of get the message was in 1959

Rhymes for get the message

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Browse Nearby Words

get the memo
get the message
get the monkey off one's back
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Get the message.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20the%20message. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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