Meaning & use
get wind of
Last updated
Meaning
phrasetransitiveinformal
To hear about something secret or not yet public, often by chance.
Grammar: Takes an object: get wind of something. Often used in the phrase 'get wind of the fact that...'.
Patterns
- get wind of something
- get wind of the fact that
The reporters got wind of the scandal and published it immediately.
She got wind of the surprise party and pretended to be surprised.
If the boss gets wind of our plan, she'll cancel it.
Word forms
| third person singular | gets wind of |
|---|---|
| past tense | got wind of |
| past participle | gotten wind of |
| -ing form | getting wind of |
Common combinations
- get wind of a plan
- The competitors got wind of our plan and changed their strategy.
- get wind of the news
- I got wind of the news before it was officially announced.
- get wind of something secret
- He got wind of something secret and couldn't keep it to himself.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hear about
- More neutral and common; 'get wind of' suggests the information was meant to be secret.
- find out
- Focuses on discovering information, while 'get wind of' emphasizes hearing it indirectly.
Commonly confused: get wind of or get wind?
get wind of vs get wind
Means to become short of breath, not to hear about something.
Practice
The journalists ______ the secret meeting and arrived at the hotel.
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is 'get wind of something'. 'Got wind' alone means to become short of breath, and the other prepositions do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “get wind of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.