The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word SURVIVE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
U
R
V
I
V
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "get through it – literally" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case get through it – literally = survive.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SURVIVE mean?
SURVIVE verb- Of a person, to continue to live; to remain alive.
- Of an object or concept, to continue to exist.
- To live longer than; to outlive.
- To live past a life-threatening event.
- To be a victim of usually non-fatal harm, to honor and empower the strength of an individual to heal, in particular a living victim of sexual abuse or assault.
- Of a team, to avoid relegation or demotion to a lower division or league.