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

Kolb parted ways with two-time WNBA champion head coach Sandy Brondello following a first-round defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Mercury. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

The book was billed as the true story of Smith’s childhood abuse at the hands of a satanic cult in the 1950s. — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

But, facing a potential sweep at the hands of the Brewers, who did the same to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, the Rays strung together four straight singles in the bottom of the frame to walk off Game 4 and keep their season alive. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Now, some face losing that freedom again, not at the hands of Ortega’s government, but through the actions of the country that rescued them. — Lynn Northcutt Vega, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 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