hand over 1 of 2

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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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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3
4
as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another hand over that screwdriver, will you please?

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handover

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hand over
Verb
The father runs his hands over his head in despair. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 Israel says Hamas is being too slow in handing over bodies of deceased hostages. Alexander Cornwell, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
The handover took place on Monday as part of ongoing efforts tied to the ceasefire agreement with Israel. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 Their release is to be followed later by the handover of bodies of the remaining 28 deceased hostages. Steven Scheer, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
  • Prior to his takeover, the sister pageants suffered some shakeups, most notably after the 2023 adult and junior winners, Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastav, relinquished their titles.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • This incident comes just days after Prince Andrew relinquished his remaining royal titles.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Target leans back towards DEI Target last week highlighted its partnership with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs that provides education and other services to Black founders of small businesses.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Upcycling solid wastes This technique provides a versatile, scalable, and efficient strategy for upcycling solid wastes into high-performance materials for environmental and energy catalysis, as per the study.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Finally, there’s the fact that the Blazers are handing him the gig, with Clingan playing 30 minutes in the opener against Minnesota.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • With 43 seconds on the clock and a timeout in his back pocket, Albin chose the conservative route, handing the ball off twice and forgoing a Hail Mary to send the game to the half knotted up.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Saturn in Scorpio teaches you that transformation begins with surrender, and that true strength requires vulnerability.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Saraceno said that Ozzy came to the shelter as a surrender back in May 2024, along with his brother Bark.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Jenner went with a cohesive look, pairing the light brown boots with a Fendi suit rendered in a rich chocolate hue.
    Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That said, while each companion’s abilities bring something to the table, they get downed by enemies a lot, which renders their abilities unusable until they can be revived.
    Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame memorably gave the dancing clown its first breath in a 1990 miniseries co-written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • When Salah was left out away at Galatasaray last month, Slot could sell it as keeping him fresh given the trip to Turkey fell between tricky Premier League games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Markus Breitenecker, chief operating officer, is leaving his post with immediate effect.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and was assassinated in 2022 at a campaign rally, two years after leaving office.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This year, the council of 16 judges, comprising photographers, videographers, and social media professionals, reviewed nearly 10,000 submissions from across 108 countries.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Among the 65 submissions was one that detailed the discovery of a 1930s-era oil can from Fresno that was supposedly uncovered at SDSU during an on-campus building project.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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