get a handle on

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.

“Not that whimsy is negative, but I do feel like it doesn’t really get a handle on the substance of what I feel I’m working with, as far as the depth of the clay, the depth of the experience, of the land.”

From Los Angeles Times

“But something like the billion dollar disasters data set is key data that many people rely on across different sectors, from nonprofit organizations like ours that have used it for years and years as a communications tool, to the insurance industry that looks to that data set to try to get a handle on the scale of the losses from climate and weather-related events over time.”

From Salon

That’s something that we never used to be able to really get a handle on, but to be able to see the amount of energy and thought that people put into it is kind of amazing.

From Los Angeles Times

Frank, however, must show swiftly he can get a handle on a club that too often appears out of his control.

From BBC

Dr Appleby said the fertility industry had a "responsibility to get a handle on the number of times a donor is used", but agreeing global regulations would be undeniably "very difficult".

From BBC