Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

grip noun

¹ hold on sth

ADJ. firm, good, secure, strong, tight | cruel, crushing, fierce, iron, painful, punishing, vice-like Her upper arms were seized in an iron grip. | restraining

VERB + GRIP have He still had a firm grip on my arm. | get, take Taking a tight grip on the hook, he began to pull it towards himself. | keep Keep a secure grip on the rope at all times. | lose She slipped and lost her grip of the rope. | tighten Robert tightened his grip on her shoulder. | loosen, relax, release, slacken

GRIP + VERB tighten | loosen, relax, slacken His grip slackened and she tore herself away.

PREP. in a/sb's ~ Hold the microphone in a firm grip. She was powerless in his vice-like grip. | ~ on She relaxed her grip on the door frame.

² power/control

ADJ. firm, iron, powerful, strong, tight, vice-like

VERB + GRIP have The Church does not have a strong grip on the population. | get, take The government needs to get a grip on this problem. (informal) Get a grip! (= take control of yourself, your life, etc.) | keep We need to keep a tight grip on costs. | strengthen, tighten They managed to strengthen their grip on the southern part of the country. | lose (informal) Sometimes I feel I'm losing my grip (= losing control of my life, etc.)

PREP. in sth's ~ Winter still held them in its iron grip. a country in the grip of recession | ~ on The government does not seem to have a very firm grip on the economy.

PHRASES come/get to grips with sth (= to begin to take control of sth or understand sth difficult) I'm slowly getting to grips with the language.

grip verb

ADV. firmly, hard, tightly | gently, lightly

PREP. at She gripped hard at the arms of her chair. | by He gripped her gently by the shoulders.