hand down
verb
handed down; handing down; hands down
1
: to transmit in succession (as from father to son)
2
: to make official formulation of and express (the opinion of a court)
Examples of hand down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The process involves the selective activation of what’s been handed down, which is one way to think about Emmie’s condition.
—
Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Family members of the victims spoke for about two hours before Perryman handed down the sentences.
—Marty Roney, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Judge David Guten did not wait to hand down a ruling.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Jurors in New Mexico leapfrogged their California peers Tuesday, handing down a $375-million verdict against Meta for endangering children while a similar lawsuit remains pending in Los Angeles County.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand down
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Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Family members of the victims spoke for about two hours before Perryman handed down the sentences.
—Marty Roney, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
Judge David Guten did not wait to hand down a ruling.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Jurors in New Mexico leapfrogged their California peers Tuesday, handing down a $375-million verdict against Meta for endangering children while a similar lawsuit remains pending in Los Angeles County.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand down
Cite this Entry
“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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