把柄
bǎ bǐng · HSK 7
information that can be used against sb
🔧 ba = grasp + bing = handle — a grip someone can grab onto
The literal meaning is a handle you grasp (把 = hold, 柄 = handle/stem). Figuratively, if someone has your handle, they have leverage — dirt or evidence they can use against you.
把 — hand radical 扌 + 巴 (phonetic)
把 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning 'to grasp or hold,' while 巴 supplies the sound. Originally meaning 'to grip with the hand,' it later extended to a noun ('handle') and a grammatical particle that fronts the object of a verb.