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
Recent Examples on the Web
The rain — the first the region has seen for months — helped firefighters get a handle on the fire.
—
Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
Ricky must learn how to set his own schedule, something the constantly late and often apologetic man can’t seem to get a handle on.
—Matthew Creith, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
In October, Sonos tried to get a handle on the situation, which, by then, had spiraled into a full-on PR disaster, by outlining a turnaround plan.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles County officials say as many as 11,000 people will be able to return home as crews continue to get a handle on fires that started during an extreme wind event on Jan. 7.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
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Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
Ricky must learn how to set his own schedule, something the constantly late and often apologetic man can’t seem to get a handle on.
—Matthew Creith, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
In October, Sonos tried to get a handle on the situation, which, by then, had spiraled into a full-on PR disaster, by outlining a turnaround plan.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 13 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles County officials say as many as 11,000 people will be able to return home as crews continue to get a handle on fires that started during an extreme wind event on Jan. 7.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for get/have a handle on
Dictionary Entries Near get/have a handle on
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 9 Feb. 2025.
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