empty-handed
adjective
emp·ty-hand·ed
ˌem(p)-tē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: having or bringing nothing
2
: having acquired or gained nothing
came back empty-handed
Examples of empty-handed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Prospective ticket buyers who had pre-registered for McCartney’s two concerts at the 1200-capacity Fonda were informed by Ticketmaster on Wednesday as to whether they had been selected for the chance to go, with the vast majority, naturally, coming away empty-handed.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Tottenham and West Ham were widely expected to come away empty-handed from meetings with Liverpool and Manchester City, so there was a reasonable expectation that their relegation rivals would make up ground.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Chalamet earned a Golden Globe Award for his lead performance, but the film came up empty-handed at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Hamlin didn't have enough time to catch Larson over two laps and Larson won his second Cup Series title as Hamlin was left empty-handed once again.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
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Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Tottenham and West Ham were widely expected to come away empty-handed from meetings with Liverpool and Manchester City, so there was a reasonable expectation that their relegation rivals would make up ground.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Chalamet earned a Golden Globe Award for his lead performance, but the film came up empty-handed at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Hamlin didn't have enough time to catch Larson over two laps and Larson won his second Cup Series title as Hamlin was left empty-handed once again.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for empty-handed
Cite this Entry
“Empty-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty-handed. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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