a (good/solid/sound/etc.) grasp of/on (something)

a (good/solid/sound/etc.) grasp of/on (something)

A firm, clear understanding or determination of something. I hope everyone has a solid grasp of the material, as you'll be tested on it next week. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on English idioms, but I don't understand this one at all! I need to make an appointment with my tutor because I don't have a firm grasp on polynomials at all.

See also: grasp, of, on, solid, sound

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

*(solid) grasp of something

 and *(sound) grasp of something; *(good) grasp of something

Fig. a firm understanding of something. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) Try to get a grasp of the basic rules. You don't have a good grasp of the principles yet. John was unable to get a solid grasp of the methods used in his work, and we had to let him go.

See also: grasp, of

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.