"get a handle on" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gets a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "getting a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "got a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "got a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gotten a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "get<,,got,got􂀿UK􂁀:gotten􂀿US􂁀> a handle on"
      },
      "expansion": "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)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After a week of poring over the manuals, I am just beginning to get a handle on the software.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control."
      ],
      "id": "en-get_a_handle_on-en-verb-9KgPjqSk",
      "links": [
        [
          "build",
          "build"
        ],
        [
          "acquire",
          "acquire"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "have a handle on"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-get a handle on.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f2/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "get a handle on"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "gets a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "getting a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "got a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "got a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gotten a handle on",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "get<,,got,got􂀿UK􂁀:gotten􂀿US􂁀> a handle on"
      },
      "expansion": "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)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "have a handle on"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "After a week of poring over the manuals, I am just beginning to get a handle on the software.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "build",
          "build"
        ],
        [
          "acquire",
          "acquire"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "control",
          "control"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To build or acquire a basic level of understanding or control."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-get a handle on.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/f2/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/En-au-get_a_handle_on.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "get a handle on"
}