handle

1 of 2

noun

han·​dle ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce handle (audio)
1
: a part that is designed especially to be grasped by the hand
2
: something that resembles a handle
3
a
: title sense 4
a royal handle
b
: name
also : nickname
went by his childhood handle
4
: hand sense 9c
the smooth handle of silk
5
: the total amount of money bet on a race, game, or event
6
: a means of understanding or controlling
can't quite get a handle on things
handled adjective
handleless adjective

handle

2 of 2

verb

handled; handling ˈhan(d)-liŋ How to pronounce handle (audio)
ˈhan-dᵊl-iŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to try or examine (as by touching, feeling, or moving) with the hand
handle silk to judge its weight
b
: to manage with the hands
handle a horse
2
a
: to deal with in writing or speaking or in the plastic arts
He handles the topic briefly in his book.
b
: to have overall responsibility for supervising or directing : manage
a lawyer handles all my affairs
c
: to train and act as the assistant for (a boxer)
handles featherweight boxers
d
: to put up with : stand
can't handle the heat
3
: to act on or perform a required function with regard to
handle the day's mail
4
: to engage in the buying, selling, or distributing of (a commodity)

intransitive verb

: to act, behave, or respond in a certain way when handled or directed
a car that handles well
handleable adjective
Phrases
off the handle
: into a state of sudden and violent anger
usually used with fly
seemed ready to fly off the handle

Examples of handle in a Sentence

Noun He held the shovel by the handle. The handles on the bag were torn. Verb Handle the fruit carefully or it will bruise. The baked potatoes were too hot to handle with our bare hands. He knows how to handle a motorcycle. He handles his motorcycle well. She learned how to handle a weapon. She handles all the bookkeeping. The system is handled by the main computer. She's proven that she can handle anything. The airport handles both passenger and cargo flights. She couldn't handle being away from her children for more than a couple of days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Clippers never got a handle on Anthony Edwards, who had 37 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Every bag has a three-step telescoping handle, four quiet spinner wheels, a TSA combination lock, top and side handles, and an organized interior with tie-down straps on one side and multiple zip compartments on the other, including a separate mesh pocket. Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2024 The brakes are easy to activate right from the handles, and the walker folds flat for storage. Sarah Bradley, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2024 That's why frying pans often have wooden or plastic handles. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024 The photo appeared on his TikTok account, which included his handle. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Enter the electric spin scrubber, which is designed to effortlessly remove grime, dirt, and stains from hard-to-reach places in the tub and on the shower walls thanks to its long handle and fast-moving bristles. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Read the warrant returns Police found a broken knife handle and a broken knife blade, according to search warrant returns unsealed Tuesday. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 Some authors wondered why such a powerful tech company seems to be having such a hard time getting a handle on the problem. Will Oremus, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Both have for decades handled almost all distribution of UN aid coming into Gaza. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Yet, for all their complexity, these language models still can’t handle basic planning tasks. Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Google, Amazon and Facebook are buying more Nvidia chips for their own data centers to handle the massive — and growing — demands of AI processing. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Similarly, Reddit’s ad-buying system was so onerous that staff handled the grunt work of uploading ads to the site, so as to shield advertisers from the system’s shortcomings. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Raincoats or jackets can help your child handle the weather safely and comfortably. Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024 One message posted on the NTV News website demanded an apology from the company, compensation for the owner of the cat and called for the government to revoke Nomura Plating's license to handle dangerous chemicals, according to the outlet. Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024 At the public safety meeting last month, council members voted to direct city agencies to study how other municipalities handle police discipline. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Most notably, a division that eventually numbered nearly 100 people handled the company’s primary function of manually matching buyer requests with sellers from AllDone’s database of service providers—a process that users likely assumed was automated. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English handel, from Old English handle; akin to Old English hand

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of handle was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near handle

Cite this Entry

“Handle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

handle

1 of 2 noun
han·​dle ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce handle (audio)
1
: a part that is designed to be grasped by the hand
2
handled adjective

handle

2 of 2 verb
handled; handling ˈhan-(d)liŋ How to pronounce handle (audio)
-dᵊl-iŋ
1
a
: to touch, feel, hold, or move with the hand
b
: to manage with the hands
handle a horse
2
a
: to deal with or act on
handle a problem
b
: control entry 1 sense 1b, direct
an accountant handles my financial concerns
c
: to put up with : stand
can't handle the heat
3
: to deal or trade in
a store that handles rugs
4
: to act, behave, or respond in a certain way when managed or directed
a car that handles well
handler
ˈhan-(d)lər
-dᵊl-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on handle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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