get back at

get back at idiom
Take revenge on, as in Watch out for Peter; he's sure to get back at you. Similarly, get one's own back means simply “get revenge,” as in She finally saw a chance to get her own back. The first expression dates from the late 1800s, the second from the early 1900s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.