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

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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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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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