hand over

verb

handed over; handing over; hands over

transitive verb

: to yield control of
handover noun

Examples of hand over in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The department now confirms to PEOPLE the investigation into Scott's disappearance has been handed over to the homicide unit, though it is not being investigated as a homicide. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 Only four bodies of the remaining dead hostages have so far been returned to Israel, after all 28 were expected to be handed over on Monday. Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025 Israeli authorities said that Hamas had handed over four coffins said to contain the remains of four deceased hostages to the Red Cross on Monday. Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025 The hostages have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), before being passed on to the Israeli military. Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand over

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20over. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hand over

verb
: to yield control of
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!