get/have a handle on

idiom

informal
: to understand and be able to deal with (something)
I can't quite get a handle on the way this machine works.
It seemed like she had a good handle on the situation.

Examples of get/have a handle on in a Sentence

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Common goals may be to get a handle on your anxiety, address the trauma that’s holding you back, improve your physical health, or find emotional balance. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 10 Jan. 2025 California fire authorities have started to get a handle on the chewing up the area around , but much work remains. James Bickerton, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said crews were in their best position yet to get a handle on the blazes — though still with a long way to go. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Streamlining in-store checks, compliance, and enhancing maintenance processing Retailers want to get a handle on compliance and maintenance checks this year, ensuring in-store tasks are completed in real time. Allbusiness, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for get/have a handle on 

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Cite this Entry

“Get/have a handle on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%2Fhave%20a%20handle%20on. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

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