Meaning of get the goods on | Babel Free

Definitions

To acquire knowledge or develop evidence that reveals the truth about someone's character or behavior, especially criminal behavior.

idiomatic, transitive

Examples

“"Bob, they've got the goods on you. There's a warrant out."”

“"You've got the goods on me. I can't deny I'm the man the police are lookin' for."”

“"With marked money and marked bottles, we ought to be able to get the goods on that gang."”

“And the film shows how mother-care can be more convincing than a legal brief in getting the goods on the corporate villains.”

“[T]he state's flawed deregulation scheme practically invited unscrupulous behavior. Still, it's encouraging that Washington is finally getting the goods on the manipulators.”

CEFR level