get wise
"Get wise" is an informal phrase often used in casual conversations to describe becoming aware of something, seeing through deception, or acting impertinently.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(informal)To become aware or informed about something, often after initial difficulty or deception.
Example
- When did you first get wise to what was happening?
- She finally got wise to his lies.
B2Deception
(informal)To see through someone's deception or trickery.
Example
- The substitute soon got wise to their tricks.
B2Behavior
(informal)To act in an impertinent or cheeky manner.
Example
- He was getting wise, so I told him to stop.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "get wise":
smarten upword to the wisewise guywise manstreet wisdomuse one's headknow betterclue upcome to one's senses