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
If Facebook doesn’t get a handle on this, both users and advertisers will eventually look elsewhere.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The community really needs to get a handle on expectations for these post-launch patches, and despite this being the third post-2.0 one, there are still some wild ideas about what’s coming.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
One of the best ways to get a handle on a new travel destination is through its cuisine.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Here are three ways to get a handle on your debt despite economic headwinds, according to experts.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for get/have a handle on
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The community really needs to get a handle on expectations for these post-launch patches, and despite this being the third post-2.0 one, there are still some wild ideas about what’s coming.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
One of the best ways to get a handle on a new travel destination is through its cuisine.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Here are three ways to get a handle on your debt despite economic headwinds, according to experts.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 6 Aug. 2025.
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