grips with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "grips with" is not correct in standard written English.
You might be trying to express a struggle or difficulty with something, but the correct expression would be "grapples with" or "deals with." Example: "She grapples with the challenges of balancing work and family life."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It's time to come to grips with it".

The New York Times

The coming to grips with suffering.

The New Yorker

Sarah comes to grips with the rejection.

The New Yorker

I can't get to grips with it.

The Guardian - Music

And he's coming to grips with that".

The New York Times - Sports

I hope he can get to grips with recruitment.

Independent

He came to grips with it, but it frustrates him.

The New York Times - Sports

Enquirer needs to get to grips with the Leveson inquiry.

Independent

Americans haven't come to grips with the new demography.

The New Yorker

Lopez, however, rarely got to grips with it.

Independent

That's probably the hardest thing to come to grips with".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using "grips with", opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "grapple with", "cope with", or "deal with" to ensure clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "with" after "grips". The correct phrasing is often "get to grips with" or using other alternatives that don't require a preposition after "grips".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "grips with" is often intended to convey the action of understanding, handling, or dealing with something. However, it's grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI identifies that this is a common mistake, and suggests more appropriate alternatives.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Science

18%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "grips with" appears frequently, Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect. The intended meaning often revolves around understanding, handling, or coping with a situation or concept. More suitable alternatives include "grapple with", "cope with", or the correct idiomatic expression "get to grips with". Although it's a common phrase, especially in news and media, using grammatically correct alternatives will improve the clarity and credibility of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

get to grips with

Implies starting to understand or handle something effectively. It maintains a similar structure but is grammatically valid.

grapple with

Suggests struggling to understand or overcome a challenge. Changes the focus to the effort involved.

cope with

Focuses on managing or enduring a difficult situation. Emphasizes resilience.

deal with

Implies handling or addressing something directly. Is more general and neutral.

come to terms with

Suggests accepting a difficult or unpleasant reality. Highlights the emotional aspect of acceptance.

contend with

Indicates facing and striving to overcome difficulties. It's a more formal alternative.

wrestle with

Suggests a vigorous mental or emotional struggle. Stronger emphasis on internal conflict.

tackle

Emphasizes a proactive approach to addressing a problem or task. Implies direct action.

understand

Focuses on gaining knowledge or comprehension of something. Directly addresses cognitive understanding.

master

Suggests achieving a high level of skill or knowledge. Emphasizes expertise.

FAQs

What's the difference between "grips with" and "get to grips with"?

"Grips with" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct idiomatic expression is "get to grips with", which means to begin to understand and deal with something difficult.

What can I say instead of "grips with"?

You can use alternatives like "grapple with", "cope with", or "deal with" depending on the context. Consider also "get to grips with" if you want to maintain the sense of beginning to understand.

Is "grips with" ever correct in English?

In most standard English contexts, "grips with" is not considered correct. It's often a misapplication of the phrase "get to grips with". If you are referring to physically holding something, "grips" might be used in other constructions (e.g. "the tool provides excellent grips"), but not followed directly by "with".

How do I properly use "get to grips with" in a sentence?

You can use "get to grips with" to indicate that someone is starting to understand or deal effectively with something. For example: "She needs to get to grips with the new software quickly."