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
But Edelstein, who is staying on temporarily as a volunteer during the transition, is confident the new owners will get a handle on how to serve the customers.
—
Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Billy Joel didn't always have a handle on his finances.
—Jack Irvin, People.com, 31 July 2025
Your Code of Silence character, Liam, is difficult to get a handle on early.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
If Facebook doesn’t get a handle on this, both users and advertisers will eventually look elsewhere.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get/have a handle on
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Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Billy Joel didn't always have a handle on his finances.
—Jack Irvin, People.com, 31 July 2025
Your Code of Silence character, Liam, is difficult to get a handle on early.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
If Facebook doesn’t get a handle on this, both users and advertisers will eventually look elsewhere.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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