be in the grip of (something)
to be experiencing something unpleasant that you have no control over.
The country is currently in the grip of the worst recession for twenty years.
英语词组固定搭配大全包含18674条英汉双解词组,基本涵盖了全部常用英文词组、短语的翻译及用法,是英语学习的有利工具。