get hold of

get hold of — idiom

1. to successfully reach a person, or to manage to secure a thing after trying

1.idiomtransitiveB1
Definition

to successfully reach a person, or to manage to secure a thing after trying

Example

Nikhil finally got hold of the landlord after calling three different numbers.

get hold of [person] after repeated attempts

Felipe got hold of two last-minute tickets before the website crashed.

get hold of [thing] before a deadline

Common collocations
  • get hold of the landlord
  • get hold of a ticket
  • get hold of a doctor
  • can't get hold of someone
Synonyms
  • reach

    works best for contacting a person, especially by phone or message

  • contact

    more neutral and formal when the meaning is making contact with someone

  • secure

    more formal when the meaning is obtaining something difficult to get

Antonyms
  • miss

    when you fail to reach someone or fail to get the thing in time

Grammar Patterns

get hold of [person]

get hold of [thing]

Usage Note

The object is usually a person you are trying to reach or a thing that is hard to get. When the object is a person, the phrase often implies making contact after several failed tries.

Common Mistakes

I finally got hold my cousin last night.
I finally got hold of my cousin last night.
the phrase always needs the preposition 'of'.

2. to understand an idea, rule, or explanation well enough to use it correctly

2.idiomtransitiveB2
Definition

to understand an idea, rule, or explanation well enough to use it correctly

Example

Jin took weeks to get hold of the new tax rules.

get hold of [rules] after study

Esme never got hold of why the joke made everyone laugh.

Common collocations
  • get hold of the rules
  • get hold of the joke
  • get hold of the rhythm
  • get hold of how it works
Synonyms
  • grasp

    more direct and slightly more formal for understanding an idea

  • follow

    often used when understanding an explanation or line of thought

  • make sense of

    stresses working out something confusing step by step

Antonyms
  • misunderstand

    to get the meaning wrong instead of understanding it

Grammar Patterns

get hold of [idea]

get hold of how [something] works

Usage Note

This sense is about grasping the meaning of something, not contacting a person or obtaining an object. It often appears with ideas, rules, jokes, or the way something works.

Common Mistakes

I got hold of the joke, so I called my friend.
I got hold of the joke, so I finally understood why it was funny.
in this sense the phrase means understanding, not making contact.