at the hands of

phrase

variants or less commonly at the hand of

: by or through the action of

suffering at the hands of a cruel dictator

Examples of at the hands of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After an embarrassing 9-2 loss Saturday at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Hawks were expected to look in the mirror and make some decisions. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

And if these were not already enough fronts on which to fight, another is opened by the death of a 46-year-old Black man at the hands of a police officer on May 25, 2020. — Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026

Some in the caravans gathering this week hope that after the elections, migrants might receive better treatment at the hands of US immigration officials. — Merlín Delcid, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2026

Punchbowl News first reported that Johnson announced the decision on an all-staff call Wednesday morning, after the GOP suffered a drubbing at the hands of Democrats, losing their majorities in both the House and Senate. — Spencer Kimball,garrett Downs,dan Mangan,kevin Breuninger,justin Papp, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at the hands of

• hereinabove
• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove