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Glite Dictionary
to get one's claws into

to get one's claws into

1 8.4
To become strongly involved in something and take control of it
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : meterse en

Examples

  • Once the officials of Rat World get their claws into you, they never let go.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • This whole nightmare started when she got her claws into him.

    The Debt Collector (2018)

  • If only I could get my claws into those strange big paws.

    Jungle Shuffle (2014)

  • Until some crossover authors got their claws into me, that is.

    Blog text (12)

  • Once she gets her claws into a project, she will not stop until it is finished.

  • The charismatic leader managed to get his claws into the committee and influence their decisions.

  • After the merger, it was clear that they wanted to get their claws into the new market.

Synonyms

to get into
vsto get one's claws into
769 3.1

Become involved in something, often without meaning to

usually implies eager or aggressive involvement aiming to take control
to seize on
vsto get one's claws into
19 5.3

To quickly use an idea or chance to get an advantage

is broader and includes actively trying to control situations
to move in on
vsto get one's claws into
8 6.3

To start taking control of a business or area without being invited

is more aggressive and eager to take control of situations
to get stuck in
vsto get one's claws into
  • UK
2 5.8

To start a task with energy and eagerness

often means being eager but not necessarily trying to control others
to dive into the fray
vsto get one's claws into
  • Informal
7.7

To join a noisy or angry argument and take part in it

focuses more on taking control rather than just joining conflict

Antonyms

to withdraw
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

How Aggressive

to seize
277 3.2
to take over
862 3.1
to get one's claws into
  • Informal
1 8.4
to engage
676 3.4

Surface Forms

get one's claws into infinitive
getting one's claws into present participle
gets one's claws into third person singular
got one's claws into past
got one's claws into past participle

Morphology

get + one + claw + into

The literal parts ('get', 'one's', 'claw(s)', 'into') evoke a clear image of grasping or seizing, so a learner who knows the words can often infer a sense of taking hold of or becoming involved with something. However, the expression's idiomatic nuances — aggressive involvement, taking control or exploiting a situation — are metaphorical and not fully predictable from the constituents, so it is only partially transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Get one's claws into paints a picture of an animal using its sharp claws to grab and hold something tightly. That's why it means to become very involved in something or to 'take control' of a situation and not let go.