wrap one's arms around

English

Verb

wrap one's arms around (third-person singular simple present wraps one's arms around, present participle wrapping one's arms around, simple past and past participle wrapped one's arms around)

1. (transitive) Alternative form of get one's arms around
   • 1997, Lasher, Practical Financial Management, →ISBN, page 382:

     The cost of capital is a "big" calculation. Many students have trouble wrapping their arms around it. It's therefore important to develop the whole idea before getting lost in the calculations.

   • 2007, Deborah Todd, Game Design: From Blue Sky to Green Light, →ISBN, page 185:

     Everyone on the production side thought it was great, but marketing couldn't wrap their arms around it.

   • 2012, Marty Goldberg, Curt Vendel, Atari Inc: Business is Fun, →ISBN, page 198:

     The yet unnamed programmable game system project needed someone who could wrap their arms around it and champion it at the Atari Consumer offices down on Division Street in Campbell, California and Joe was also the perfect candidate for that.

2. (transitive) To support (a person, etc), usually in a difficult time.
   • 2018 Lions will 'wrap arms around Rayner': Fagan Brisbane Lions, 4 August 2018. Accessed 6 August 2018.

     "Chris Fagan said the Brisbane Lions would wrap their arms around Cam Rayner after the No.1 draft pick missed a golden chance to steal victory in the dying seconds against North Melbourne."