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 new bag policy is in response to an uptick in retail theft across the state, an issue so problematic that state officials have dispatched California Highway Patrol officers to help local police get a handle on retail crime and car theft and help bolster traffic enforcement.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Executives also seem to have a handle on minimizing the earnings’ impact of tariffs.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
On a different note, this could affect your physical health, encouraging you to get a handle on your diet or fitness.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Each candidate criticized Democratic leadership in California and the state’s struggle to get a handle on homelessness, the cost of living and environmental challenges like drought and megafires.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for get/have a handle on
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Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Executives also seem to have a handle on minimizing the earnings’ impact of tariffs.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
On a different note, this could affect your physical health, encouraging you to get a handle on your diet or fitness.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Each candidate criticized Democratic leadership in California and the state’s struggle to get a handle on homelessness, the cost of living and environmental challenges like drought and megafires.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 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 28 May. 2025.
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