hand down a decision

idiom

of a court
: to officially decide a case by vote
On Friday, the Supreme Court handed down a decision upholding the new law.
The Court of Appeals handed down a 4–2 decision in favor of the new law.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision in the case by the end of June. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2021 Any day now, the Supreme Court will hand down a decision that could change the future of Western art — and, in a sense, its history, too. Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023 The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision in June. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2022 Within days, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision that could severely limit the federal government’s authority to reduce carbon dioxide from power plants — pollution that is dangerously heating the planet. BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2022 The league could hand down a decision in the next couple of weeks, and then Watson will likely appeal. cleveland, 19 June 2022 The court will hand down a decision in the case by late June. Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2022 The court could hear oral arguments this fall and will likely hand down a decision in the spring or summer of next year. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 22 July 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand down a decision.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near hand down a decision

Cite this Entry

“Hand down a decision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down%20a%20decision. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

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