student asking question

What does “get ahold of someone” mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question! The answer to your question is a bit complicated as there are several different meanings of the phrase "get ahold of", depending on the context. In the context of the video here, "get ahold of yourself" is an idiom that means to control your emotions or force yourself to become calm. Ex: After losing her job, she had to get ahold of herself to drive home safe. However, another common meaning of the phrase "get ahold of" means to reach someone either by communicating or by physically reaching for someone or something. Ex: I tried to call him, but I couldn't get ahold of him.

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