take matters into one's own hands

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take matters into one's own hands (third-person singular simple present takes matters into one's own hands, present participle taking matters into one's own hands, simple past took matters into one's own hands, past participle taken matters into one's own hands)

1. (idiomatic) To deal with a problem alone instead of waiting on others (often persons who are responsible and have failed to deal with the issue).
   • 2011 February 12, Les Roopanarine, “Birmingham 1 - 0 Stoke”, in BBC‎:

     But while the two strapping front men battered Foster, they could not better him, and in the absence of tangible reward for his creative efforts, Pennant almost took matters into his own hands, curling a low free-kick inches wide of Foster's left-hand upright.

• take the law into one's own hands

• “take matters into one's own hands”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “take matters into one’s own hands”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “take matters into one's own hands” in TheFreeDictionary.com, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.: Farlex, Inc., 2003–2024.