get a handle on

English

Etymology

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

get a handle on (third-person singular simple present gets a handle on, present participle getting a handle on, simple past got a handle on, past participle (UK) got a handle on or (US) gotten a handle on)

1. (informal) To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control.

   After a week of poring over the manuals, I am just beginning to get a handle on the software.

See also

• have a handle on