hand over

verb

handed over; handing over; hands over

transitive verb

: to yield control of
handover noun

Example Sentences

the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter
Recent Examples on the Web This followed the Taliban refusing to hand over Osama bin Laden, the architect of 9/11. Andrea Stanton, The Conversation, 15 Mar. 2023 The United Nations also had video relevant to the kidnapping, but initially refused to hand over an unedited version to Israel. Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2023 The Anchorage Assembly last week authorized its attorneys to begin litigation after Bronson and his officials repeatedly refused to hand over internal investigation documents in response to a subpoena from the Assembly’s chair. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Feb. 2023 Succession has always been a big issue for private equity firms, with the aging founders of some firms refusing to hand over the reins to a younger generation. Byluisa Beltran, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2023 Grassley said Wray has refused to hand over documents related to that briefing, including records showing the intelligence basis for scheduling it in the first place. Sarah Westwood, Washington Examiner, 9 Feb. 2023 The lawsuit signals Musk is refusing to hand over the funds. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 3 Jan. 2023 After Palestinian gunmen refused to hand over a dead Israeli teenager on Tuesday, officials on both sides of the conflict worked together to recover his abducted body. Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2022 His last major bid for the top Democratic leadership role came in 2010 when Democrats lost 60 seats in the midterm elections but Pelosi refused to hand over the reins of party power. Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 18 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hand over.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand over was in 1652

Dictionary Entries Near hand over

Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20over. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

hand over

verb
: to yield control of

More from Merriam-Webster on hand over

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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