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to get a grip on

to get a grip on

20 4.0
Start to understand and control your feelings or a hard situation
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: controlar
  • It's important to get a grip on your emotions during difficult times.

If I can name it, I can get a grip on it.

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Examples

  • You can't turn the clock back, so why not get a grip on reality for a change?

    Blog text (32)
  • But you'll have to get a grip on yourself, nonetheless.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • We need to get a grip on reality here.

  • That night I got a grip on life again.

  • Please get a grip on yourself, Doctor.

  • The thought helped her to get a grip on herself.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And that's part of the problem is that we have to get a grip on reality and where we're headed.

  • And your life will only get worse if you don't get a grip on your anger issues.

  • I definitely think that it's become useful for me, and I've gotten a grip on it enough to really use it to accomplish goals.

  • So, Stephen, let's get a grip on ourselves and try to have a conversation in a calm, civilized, and dare I say, Christian manner.

Synonyms

to take control
vsto get a grip on
252 3.5

Start to have power and make decisions about something

focuses on personal understanding and emotional control rather than formal power
to come to grips
vsto get a grip on
35 5.5

Start to accept and deal with a difficult situation

includes starting to control feelings or circumstances, not only understanding
to get a grip
vsto get a grip on
  • Informal
24 5.6

To calm down and control your feelings

covers starting to understand and control situations as well as feelings
to have a handle on
vsto get a grip on
20 4.2

To understand something well enough to deal with it

adds the idea of beginning to control emotions or the situation
to get to grips
vsto get a grip on
  • UK
3 5.7

To begin to deal with or understand a difficult problem

is more about also gaining control over feelings while understanding
to get to grips with
vsto get a grip on
  • UK
3 5.4

To begin to understand and deal with a difficult subject or problem

starts to add emotional control as well as understanding of a situation

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

To think something is true when it is not

How Controlled

to master
181 4.1
to get a grip on
  • Informal
20 4.0
to manage
199 2.3

Surface Forms

get a grip on infinitive
getting a grip on present participle
gets a grip on third person singular
got a grip on past participle

Morphology

get + a + grip + on

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'get' (obtain) + 'grip' (control/hold) + 'on' (over/target), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer 'obtain control or understanding of' the target. The construction follows a common, cross-linguistic metaphor of gaining a 'hold' on something and the article 'a' does not obscure compositionality, making it immediately comprehensible at B1.

Etymology

The phrase get a grip on comes from the image of grabbing something with a strong grip to hold it steady, like grabbing a rope or steering wheel when things are rough. So, get a grip on now means 'start to understand and control' a problem or your feelings.