gain access

phraseB2formal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To gain access is to get the right or the means to go in. A card that opens the door, a password that opens the file.

It takes to, and there is no article. The phrase is the language of security notices, court reports and system logs, so it is what you write when somebody got in and plain went in would sound too casual — a burglar gains access through a window. Deny or restrict it is the other side, and have access to is the state rather than the moment of getting there.

Definitions of gain access

1phrasegain accessTo get the right or the means to enter.B2
“You need a card to gain access to the building at night.”

gain access is a way in.

Practised in Common Word Pairs

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gain access

phraseB2formal · an editor’s judgementNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To gain access is to get the right or the means to go in. A card that opens the door, a password that opens the file.

Definitions of gain access

1phrasegain accessTo get the right or the means to enter.B2
“You need a card to gain access to the building at night.”

gain access is a way in.

Practised in Common Word Pairs

Practise this word