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
Outside, the Peoria police and fire departments began coordinating to get a handle on the situation.
—
Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
The anniversary comes as public frustration continues to mount over street homelessness and city officials’ seeming inability to get a handle on the crisis.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
In recent years, a number of states have tried to get a handle on the issue.
—Emily Tate Sullivan, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024
School districts are trying to get a handle on the technology.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
And the creators have a handle on every moving part.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Amazon hasn’t managed to get a handle on in-person retail despite buying the upscale, popular Whole Foods chain back in 2017.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreover, the move comes at a time when other retailers look to get a handle on their vanishing inventory.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
With that said, to get a handle on attention residue, implement focused work blocks, set boundaries around technology usage, and schedule uninterrupted time for deep work.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
The anniversary comes as public frustration continues to mount over street homelessness and city officials’ seeming inability to get a handle on the crisis.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
In recent years, a number of states have tried to get a handle on the issue.
—Emily Tate Sullivan, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024
School districts are trying to get a handle on the technology.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
And the creators have a handle on every moving part.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
Amazon hasn’t managed to get a handle on in-person retail despite buying the upscale, popular Whole Foods chain back in 2017.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreover, the move comes at a time when other retailers look to get a handle on their vanishing inventory.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
With that said, to get a handle on attention residue, implement focused work blocks, set boundaries around technology usage, and schedule uninterrupted time for deep work.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get/have a handle on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 28 Apr. 2024.
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