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

The Kherson Art Museum has suffered greatly at the hands of the current war. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

But Williams’ shot bounced high off the rim and landed in the hands of Minnesota point guard Olivia Miles, beginning a sequence that illustrated the Valkyries’ latest demise at the hands of the Lynx. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Misinterpreting victims’ behaviors With this understanding, consider someone who experiences a trauma at the hands of a professional during an appointment. — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026

Young detainees have described inedible food, substandard medical care and callous treatment at the hands of guards and staff at immigration facilities. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 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