get one's arms around

present singular third person gets one's arms around · participle present getting one's arms around · past got one's arms around · UK participle past got one's arms around · US participle past gotten one's arms around · alternative wrap one's arms around

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see get, arms, around.

   The man tries to embrace the statue, but the statue disappears before he can get his arms around it and it reappears magically on the opposite side of the room.

   2011, Anthony Balducci, The Funny Parts: A History of Film Comedy Routines and Gags, →ISBN

2. To fully understand; to wrap one's head around; to get a handle on.

   They can't get their arms around their feelings.

   2006, Jerry Goebel, Is There Hope For Me Now?, →ISBN, page 16

   3 more examples

   Rather, it is the way Pekka needs to get his arms around the data before making up his own mind.

   2003, Allan Katcher, Kenneth Pasternak, Managing Your Strengths, →ISBN, page 69

   Roughead said the NECC is performing a really good mission and he is trying to get his arms around how much bigger it should grow.

   2010, Ronald O'Rourke, Navy Role in Irregular Warfare and Counter-Terrorism, →ISBN

   My request was to eliminate this liability on the company so the banks could get their arms around what our future liabilities would be.

   2010, Gary Chartrand, Unreasonable Leadership, →ISBN

3. To manage, handle, or control; to get on top of.

   The imperfect prince was a role he could get his arms around.

   2009, Vincent Bzdek, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled, →ISBN

   2 more examples

   Meese arrived back at the Justice Department at 12:45 p.m. and advised Reynolds, Cooper, and Richardson that the President had authorized him to "get his arms around the Iranian initiative."

   1995, Lee H. Hamilton, Daniel K. Inouye, Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the Iran/Contra Affair, →ISBN, page 305

   “This can’t just stand,” said Rich Galen, former press secretary to the 44th vice-president, Dan Quayle. “It was kind of fun in the beginning watching the kids run around and bump into each other. Now they’ve got the keys to the car and it’s dangerous. Someone has to go in and get their arms around this.”

   2017 February 18, David Smith, Ben Jacobs, “Chaos in the White House: 'There's never been anything like this'”, in The Guardian