get a glance

USAGE SUMMARY

"get a glance" is correct and can be used in written English.
For example, you can use it to describe how you saw something briefly, like this: "As I passed by, I got a quick glance at the new store opening downtown."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

"At the very least, they get a glance".

The New York Times

For the price range he wanted, you may get a glance of a street or a sliver of sunlight".

The New York Times

"It's always nasty when you get a glance like that, so there were a few guys shaken up.

The Guardian - Sport

"Weddings are inherently crowded spaces, so while a long lens can be great for a garden wedding, they are not the ultimate tool for capturing people shoulder to shoulder, trying to get a glance at the bride's sparkly ring".

The New York Times

After a cross-country chase they fetch up in New York, where a 6-foot-7-inch talking moose wouldn't get a glance anyway, let alone with the whole city zombified.

The New York Times

The hope was to get a glance at Moscow's trendy side, but we apparently arrived too early, and made do with a couple of ridiculously expensive cocktails (no beer or wine, just cocktails on the menu) at a place near the huge, kitschy statue of Peter the Great atop a tall-masted ship.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

"Every time we got a glance of the shooter, they always disappeared really quickly into the jungle".

The New York Times

That way I got a glance in through the open door of the sunroom — which was not much of a sunroom at all, having its windows on three sides all filled up with the fat leaves of catalpa trees.

The New Yorker

His love of light takes him upstairs, but he falls from the chandelier into the queen's soup and, shocking her, brings on her death; for that, he gets a glance from the princess that sends him back to the dark dungeon to plot his revenge on her.

The New York Times - Books

To make sure that everyone gets a glance at it (and not just those who pop into App World), they push a download icon all the way to the user's app launch screen.

TechCrunch

That means submissions from unknown authors, who lack a robust social platform, hardly gets a glance.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing an intentional act of looking, consider alternatives like "take a peek" or "have a quick look".

Common error

While grammatically correct, "get a glance" can sound informal. In professional or academic writing, opt for more sophisticated alternatives like "obtain a glimpse" or "perceive briefly".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "get a glance" functions as a verbial phrase. It describes the action of briefly seeing something. The auxiliary verb "get" combines with the noun "glance" to convey the act of obtaining a quick, often unintentional, view. According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

4%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "get a glance" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe briefly seeing something. Ludwig AI confirms its validity for use in written English. While suitable for general contexts like news and media, it may be perceived as informal for academic or professional writing, where alternatives such as "obtain a glimpse" might be more appropriate. The phrase is not extremely common, but is recognized and understood across various sources. Its purpose is to convey a quick, often unintentional visual experience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

get a glimpse

Synonymous, but less common.

catch a glimpse

Emphasizes a fleeting or brief view.

have a quick look

Emphasizes the speed of the observation.

obtain a glimpse

More formal way to express the same idea.

take a peek

Implies a quick and often secretive look.

perceive briefly

A more formal alternative highlighting the act of perceiving.

see briefly

A more straightforward description of the act of seeing something for a short time.

spot momentarily

Highlights the fleeting nature of the sighting.

get a view

Focuses on the visual aspect and the act of perceiving something.

glimpse

A shorter, noun form of "get a glance".

FAQs

What does "get a glance" mean?

To "get a glance" means to see something or someone briefly and often unintentionally. It implies a quick and sometimes incomplete view.

How can I use "get a glance" in a sentence?

You can use "get a glance" to describe seeing something quickly, such as, "I "got a glance" of the celebrity as they walked by".

What can I say instead of "get a glance"?

You can use alternatives like "catch a glimpse", "take a peek", or "get a glimpse" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "got a glance" or should it be "get a glance"?

"Got a glance" is the past tense of "get a glance" and is appropriate when describing something that already happened. "Get a glance" is used for present or future scenarios.