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3. come to grips with

come to grips with

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come to grips with someone or something

Fig. to begin to deal with someone or something difficult or challenging in a sensible way. We must all come to grips with this tragedy. I cannot come to grips with Ed and his problems.

See also: come, grip

come to grips with something

to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation The whole community is struggling to come to grips with these kids' deaths.

Related vocabulary: come to terms with something

See also: come, grip

come/get to grips with something

to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation It's further proof of the government's failure to get to grips with two of the most important social issues of our time.

See also: come, grip

come to grips with

Confront squarely, deal decisively with, as in Her stories help the children come to grips with upsetting events. This term, sometimes put as get to grips with, employs grip in the sense of a "tight hold." [Mid-1900s]

See also: come, grip

come to grips with

To confront squarely and attempt to deal decisively with: "He had to come to grips with the proposition" (Louis Auchincloss).

See also: come, grip