handshake

noun hand·shake \ ˈhan(d)-ˌshāk \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Examples: handshake in a Sentence

Definition of handshake

: a clasping usually of right hands by two people (as in greeting or farewell)

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See handshake defined for kids

Examples of handshake in a Sentence

She greeted him with a handshake.
He has a firm handshake.

Recent Examples of handshake from the Web

Business upfront, and then hopefully end with handshakes and goodwill and some of that business accomplished.

— Fox News, "UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on NATO, Russia and Brexit," 13 July 2018
The footage includes a clip of Trump fumbling a handshake and then saluting a man who appears to be a North Korean military officer.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "State TV Shows President Trump Saluting North Korean Officer During Summit," 14 June 2018
North Korea, of course, has just refreshed relations with the U.S., or at least with President Trump, after a high-profile handshake and vague talk of denuclearization.

— ramin mostaghim, latimes.com, "Remember the 'axis of evil'? There's one member left, and its chances for a Trump summit look dim," 14 June 2018
Just the meeting alone, and the handshake, and the pictures will be enough for a lot of people.

— geoffrey cain, The New Republic, "‘You Should Not Want a Deal Too Badly’," 11 June 2018
The first handshakes and smiles set a tone for the rest of the day's meetings.

— dan balz, chicagotribune.com, "Summit's outcome rests on substance, not symbolism," 11 June 2018
All the Knights fans have been nice—they’ve been giving us handshakes and saying good luck.

— charlotte wilder, SI.com, "Vegas and Washington Are More Similar Hockey Towns Than You Might Think," 4 June 2018
All the other kids line up to give the greeter a handshake and say good morning before walking into the classroom to take their seats.

— caitlin o'kane, CBS News, "Why this kindergarten class starts every day with a meaningful handshake," 29 May 2018
Madison greeted each person with a firm handshake and wrapped his left arm around many necks into a lingering hug.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky baseball's stadium was more than a ballpark: 'It's the people'," 14 May 2018

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

First Known Use of handshake

1802

in the meaning defined above

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HANDSHAKE Defined for English Language Learners

handshake

noun

Definition of handshake for English Language Learners

: the act of grasping someone's right hand with your right hand and moving it up and down : the act of shaking hands; also : the manner in which a person shakes hands