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

Miami’s July freefall continued with a home sweep at the hands of the Padres. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026

There's too much crime going on at the hands of foreign nationals. — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Saturday’s crowd fell silent as Laura Garza, executive director of Arise Chicago, read aloud the names of those reported to have died at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol agents or while in ICE custody. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026

Former staffers alleged they also were subjected to violence at the hands of their boss. — Cheyenne Roundtree, VIBE.com, 24 July 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