pull oneself together
Steady oneself emotionally
To pull oneself together is to regain composure or self-control after emotional distress or confusion.
The phrase suggests gathering scattered emotions back into a functional whole: She took a deep breath and pulled herself together before the meeting.
Often used as an imperative, sometimes impatiently: Pull yourself together—we need you focused.
- buckle downApply oneself determinedly
- buck upBecome more cheerful
- shape upImprove behavior or performance
- man upEmbrace toughness, colloquially
- centerMiddle of anything
get a grip · resolve · calm · cool your jets · take a breath · focus · composure · stabilize · grip · recover · steady · turn over a new leaf · snap out of it · get over it · suck it up · brace · muster · self-control
pull oneself togetherfall apart
Break into pieces
break down · lose it · go to pieces · come undone · have a meltdown
pull oneself togetherlose the plot
Become confused or irrational
go off the rails · self-destruct · give up · throw in the towel · shut down
pull oneself togetherlet oneself go
Cease self-restraint
succumb · deteriorate · lose the plot · go off the deep end · spiral