have/get the goods on

idiom

informal
: to have/get evidence showing that someone has done something wrong
We can't arrest her until we get the goods on her.

Examples of have/get the goods on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Read on to get the goods on this up-and-coming ready-to-wear brand. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2022 The movie version of the Mean Girls musical is busy filling up its cast, but even the Burn Book doesn't have the goods on whether the original Plastics will be making an appearance. Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2023 Holmes said the Lions have the goods on offense to get a fair evaluation on quarterback Jared Goff this fall. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'have/get the goods on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Have/get the goods on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%2Fget%20the%20goods%20on. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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