get a fix on

Idioms  

1. Also, have a fix on;;. Obtain (or have) a clear determination or understanding of something. For example, I was finally able to get a fix on the specifics of this problem, or No one in the press room had a handle on Balkan history, or Do you have a grasp of the situation? Similarly, give a fix means “provide a clear understanding,” as in This briefing will give us a fix on the current situation. The usages with fix and handle are colloquialisms dating from the 1920s; those with grasp are more formal and date from the late 1600s.

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Example Sentences

“The more he tried to get a fix on the fact of being Cass here,” Goldstein writes, “the more the whole idea of it just got away from him.”

From Scientific American • Aug. 17, 2019

They can’t get a fix on her appendix.

From Washington Post • Sep. 14, 2018

Cuban officials weren’t so sure about the storm’s location, and decided to get a fix on it.

From National Geographic • Sep. 8, 2017

He can't quite get a fix on his romantic delirium, and he kind of likes the idea that he can't explain his bliss.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2015

I watched my reflection not only in the mirror, but in store windows and across the television when it wasn’t on, trying to get a fix on my looks.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Related Words

• diagnose
• identify
• recognize