ˈhan(d)-tə-ˈhand 
ˈhan-də-
: involving physical contact or close enough range for physical contact
hand-to-hand fighting
: at very close range
Examples of hand-to-hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
The wide shots of Tommy stepping onto the main street of Jackson, burning in the snow, are a riot of gore and desperate hand-to-hand action that neither our focus character nor any but the most dedicated rewatch viewers will fully catch.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Police radio traffic indicated the gunman was at one point standing at the end of a driveway, wearing a shirt and jeans but shoeless, occasionally shifting the gun from hand to hand.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-to-hand
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Adjective
One standout sequence features a slippery hand-to-hand combat scene among wriggling eels.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Apr. 2025
The wide shots of Tommy stepping onto the main street of Jackson, burning in the snow, are a riot of gore and desperate hand-to-hand action that neither our focus character nor any but the most dedicated rewatch viewers will fully catch.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
In the weight room, David drops into a plank pose and moves the length of an agility ladder, hand to hand, down and back, pausing only when Will cracks a joke.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Police radio traffic indicated the gunman was at one point standing at the end of a driveway, wearing a shirt and jeans but shoeless, occasionally shifting the gun from hand to hand.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand-to-hand
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-to-hand. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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