a show of hands
noun phrase
: an occurrence in which people put a hand in the air to indicate that they want something, agree with something, etc.
Let me see a show of hands: how many people want a piece of cake?
Examples of a show of hands in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When questioned about a potential offering, Salter asked for a show of hands of how many CEOs in the room were both happy and publicly listed.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Get a show of hands of who will guarantee to be there for their parents, and for how many hours each week.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
The moderator requested a show of hands for who supports Hochul for reelection in New York’s next gubernatorial election, scheduled for November 3, 2026.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
The driver asked for a show of hands—how many on the bus would be O.K. with an unscheduled stop?
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
If more than 10 minutes, indicate a desire to speak (by a show of hands).
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
After an evening of difficulties with the electronic voting system, the convention suspended its rules and voted by a show of hands.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
In a show of hands, the class overwhelmingly indicated that the decision was final.
—Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The audience here seemed to be among those enthusiastic adopters, to judge from the reaction to Web Summit emcee Casey Lau asking for a show of hands about who was on which social platform.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 29 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Get a show of hands of who will guarantee to be there for their parents, and for how many hours each week.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 18 Oct. 2025
The moderator requested a show of hands for who supports Hochul for reelection in New York’s next gubernatorial election, scheduled for November 3, 2026.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
The driver asked for a show of hands—how many on the bus would be O.K. with an unscheduled stop?
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
If more than 10 minutes, indicate a desire to speak (by a show of hands).
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
After an evening of difficulties with the electronic voting system, the convention suspended its rules and voted by a show of hands.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
In a show of hands, the class overwhelmingly indicated that the decision was final.
—Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The audience here seemed to be among those enthusiastic adopters, to judge from the reaction to Web Summit emcee Casey Lau asking for a show of hands about who was on which social platform.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“A show of hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20show%20of%20hands. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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