got back to us

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "got back to us" is a perfectly acceptable and often used phrase in written English.
For example: We sent an email to the company inquiring about their rates, and they got back to us within an hour.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

They never got back to us.

The New Yorker

They never got back to us," he said.

The New York Times

The filmmakers could've easily got back to us for a review as others do.

The New York Times

Our server had "no idea" and never got back to us with the information.

The New York Times

We sent the papers [for the riot fund] but they haven't got back to us.

The Guardian

"We asked him if he would meet with our private investigators because we were interested to learn more about the photo, and he never got back to us".

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

But so far they haven't gotten back to us.

The New York Times

We're waiting for him to get back to us".

The New York Times - Sports

They said they would have to get back to us on that, and they haven't".

The New York Times

I guess that is surviving, getting back to us, not me.

The New York Times

They will recalculate the settlement and get back to us next Monday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "got back to us" when you want to emphasize a return communication after a certain period, implying that there was an initial outreach.

Common error

Avoid mixing tenses. If you start in the past tense, maintain consistency. For example, instead of saying "We emailed them, and they get back to us tomorrow", say "We emailed them, and they "got back to us" the next day" or "We emailed them, and they will "get back to us" tomorrow".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "got back to us" functions as a phrasal verb indicating a response or reply to a prior communication. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a standard and acceptable phrase in English, signaling that someone has responded to an initial outreach.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrasal verb "got back to us" is a common and grammatically sound way to indicate that someone has responded to a previous communication. According to Ludwig AI, it is perfectly acceptable in written English. Its usage spans across various contexts, from news and media to business and even scientific domains. While alternatives like "responded to us" or "replied to us" exist, "got back to us" carries a slightly more informal tone and implies a return communication after some time. Pay attention to maintaining consistent tenses when using this phrase and remember that British English speakers prefer “got” whereas American English speakers often use "gotten".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

responded to us

More formal and direct, implying a clear and definitive response.

replied to us

Similar to "responded", but slightly less formal.

contacted us

Focuses on the act of making contact, without specifying the content of the communication.

got in touch with us

Emphasizes the establishment of communication.

phoned us back

Specifically refers to a phone call response.

emailed us back

Specifically refers to a response via email.

wrote back to us

Implies a written response, which could be a letter or email.

reverted to us

More formal, commonly used in business contexts to indicate a return to the topic.

followed up with us

Implies a continuation of a previous communication, often to provide updates or further information.

answered us

A general term for providing an answer or response.

FAQs

How can I use "got back to us" in a sentence?

You can use "got back to us" to indicate that someone has responded to a previous message or inquiry. For example, "We sent the proposal last week, and they "got back to us" today with their feedback."

What does "got back to us" mean?

"Got back to us" means that someone has replied or responded to a previous communication, often after a delay or expected waiting period.

What are some alternatives to "got back to us"?

Alternatives include "responded to us", "replied to us", "contacted us", or "got in touch with us" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "gotten back to us" instead of "got back to us"?

Both "got back to us" and "gotten back to us" are grammatically correct, but "got back to us" is more common in British English, while "gotten back to us" is more frequently used in American English.