get a grip on

Idioms

Also, have a grip on. Obtain mastery or control over something or someone. For example, Get a grip on yourself or the reporters will give you a hard time, or, as Arthur Conan Doyle put it in Sherlock Holmes (1894): “I have a grip on the essential facts of the case.” This expression transfers a firm physical hold to emotional or intellectual control. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In north London, which is in the midst of a measles outbreak, officials are looking to places like Birmingham for ways to get a grip on it.

From BBC

Local authorities have been trying to step up efforts to get a grip on the issue by using methods such as surveillance cameras to catch culprits.

From BBC

I nod, trying to get a grip on myself.

From Literature

In its 2024 election manifesto, Labour said its immediate priority on health will be to "get a grip on the record waiting lists" and "return to meeting NHS performance standards".

From BBC

But before the girl could get a grip on her, there was a whoosh of air and a shriek as the girl was knocked aside.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023