Meaning
The phrasal verb “get down to” means to start doing something seriously or to give serious attention to a task or subject, often after delays or distractions.
Grammar and Usage
- Pattern: get down to + noun/gerund
- Used to show beginning focused work or attention on something.
- Verb type: phrasal verb, inseparable
Examples of structure:
- "get down to business" (start focusing on important matters)
- "get down to work" (start working seriously)
- "get down to studying" (start studying seriously)
Common Phrases
- get down to business
- get down to work
- get down to details
- get down to basics
Collocations
- Verb + get down to: finally get down to, must get down to, really get down to
- get down to + noun: business, work, study, details, discussion
Examples
- After some small talk, they finally got down to business.
- I need to stop procrastinating and get down to work.
- Let’s get down to the details of the project plan.
- We should get down to discussing the budget before the meeting ends.
- After the long holiday, it’s time to get down to studying again.
- He got down to basics and explained the concept in simple terms.
- Once the introductions were over, the manager got down to the agenda.
Synonyms or Related
- buckle down to
- start on
- focus on
- concentrate on
Antonym
- put off
- postpone
- delay