get one's bearings

1. Also, find one's bearings. Figure out one's position or situation relative to one's surroundings. For example, She's still new to the company and needs time to find her bearings, or I'll be along soon; just wait till I get my bearings. Naturally, one can also lose one's bearings, as in After we missed the turnpike exit, we completely lost our bearings. These phrases use bearings in the sense of “relative position,” a usage dating from the 1600s.

Example Sentences

Conspiracy theories can be comforting, a way to get one’s bearings during rapid change in the culture or the economy, by providing narratives that bring order.

Read more on New York Times

The structure includes an archaeological museum, bars, restaurants and a balcony with a panoramic view of the city center — a great place to get one’s bearings.

Read more on New York Times

It is hard to get one's bearings.

Read more on The Guardian

There is not much on the bay, but enough to get one’s bearings as the sky grows dim.

Read more on New York Times

Shelley A. Wilson Harford, Pa. Your Essay asserts that "it is difficult to get one's bearings in time if one stays too long on Oahu."

Read more on Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• adapt 
• adjust 
• align 
• conform