1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption
in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed over their valuables to the desk clerk, who put them in the hotel safe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
though the handover of my wallet was painful, it was better than getting shot by some trigger-happy punk
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand over
Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
The statement referenced Richard Hernandez’s mother, Maria Trancito Hernandez, who died in April 2024 without legal documentation that handed over her business to her son.
—Staff Report, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Stephen Smith, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
SpaceX's Crew-12 mission was originally slated to launch in mid-February, with a typical handover period between them and Crew-11 expected after their arrival in low Earth orbit, allowing the newcomers time to acclimate to microgravity and life aboard the station.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
The criminal grand jury, impaneled by prosecutors in Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig’s office, have yet to hand up any indictments related to the blast, following the conclusion of Cal Fire’s investigation of the blast, which was handed over to Reisig’s office in February.
—Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026
The statement referenced Richard Hernandez’s mother, Maria Trancito Hernandez, who died in April 2024 without legal documentation that handed over her business to her son.
—Staff Report, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
The office did not indicate where the handover took place or identify the relatives who took the body.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
SpaceX's Crew-12 mission was originally slated to launch in mid-February, with a typical handover period between them and Crew-11 expected after their arrival in low Earth orbit, allowing the newcomers time to acclimate to microgravity and life aboard the station.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
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The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.—
David Rising,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Bohm’s lawsuit demands at least $3 million in damages and that his parents relinquish control of the accounts.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its creator, Mark Hodges, received the same message as Aaron, even though Eyes Up did not provide agents’ real-time locations.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Chappell, who was appointed to the bench in 2013 by President Barack Obama, questioned the timing of the evidence and testimony provided by government officials.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The group was flown to Poland and transported to the Ukrainian border by US officials who then handed them over to Polish officials who escorted them across the border.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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But passengers cannot just hand individual officers cash.—
Emma Hurt,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And those who find Georgia's gun laws too permissive say installing weapons detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Pisces new moon asks for surrender.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Guten singled out the defense’s witness, Beatty, as too biased to render an impartial assessment, characterizing the social worker’s testimony as advocacy, not an expert opinion.—
Pamela Colloff,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
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Across his multimedia practice, Aram’s project is one of disrupting the habits of classification that render aesthetic judgment perfunctory.—
Julian Stern,
Artforum,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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According to investigators, during the months she was held captive, the teen was barely given food and was forced to use a water jug as a toilet.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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The law extended the program for two years, setting the current expiration deadline and giving lawmakers another opportunity to revisit possible reforms.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These learnings now sit at the foundation of the Buahan concept and not only ensure that the hotel leaves a positive impact on the community, but also provide guests a level of immersion into the Balinese way of life that few other hotels of this caliber have managed to deliver.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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That leaves a sicker, older, more expensive pool of enrollees, which pushes up premiums for everyone.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
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Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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