Get stuck means to become trapped and unable to move: in traffic, in a lift, in the snow. Its second common meaning is to be unable to continue with a task because you don't know what to do next: I got stuck on question five.
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get stuck in + place (traffic, a lift, the snow); get stuck on + task/question; get stuck with + something unwanted
- We got stuck in traffic on the bridge and missed the first part of the concert.
- If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back to it at the end.
- I got stuck with the washing-up again because everyone else left early.
What changed
First versionSorry I'm late, I stuck in traffic for an hour.
RevisionSorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic for an hour.
Here stuck isn't a verb meaning to become trapped; it describes a state. To say you were trapped, you need a verb before it: get stuck or be stuck. It's easy to drop get. And I stuck on its own is the past tense of stick, meaning I glued or pushed something in.
In informal British English, get stuck in or get stuck into something means to start eagerly, whether it's work or food: Dinner's ready, get stuck in! Nobody is trapped here. Get stuck with means to be left with something you didn't want: I got stuck with the old laptop.
Your turn
The lift broke down, and we ___ between the third and fourth floors for an hour.
Show the answer
got stuck — The lift broke down and people couldn't get out, so they got stuck. Got caught is used when someone is caught doing something or caught in the rain; nobody says it about a lift stuck between floors.
Describe a time you got stuck on a difficult task. Name the task and what helped you move forward.
I got stuck on the budget part of my project, so I asked a colleague to check my numbers, and then it finally made sense.
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