1. Reach or gain access to
   "The investigators struggled to get at the truth";
   - access
    
2. Influence by corruption
   "The lobbyist tried to get at the senator with promises of campaign contributions"
    
3. [informal] Cause annoyance, especially by persistent minor irritations
   "His constant interruptions get at the entire team";
   - annoy, rag, get to, bother, irritate, rile, nark [Brit, slang], nettle, gravel [US], vex, chafe [archaic], devil, tick off [informal], roil [N. Amer]
    
4. [Brit, informal] Indirectly or subtly criticize, esp. repeatedly or with dislike
   "She felt her mother-in-law was always trying to get at her about her housekeeping"

Derived forms: got at, getting at, gets at

Type of: act upon, arrive at, attain, displease, gain, hit, influence, make, reach, work