handshake
noun
hand·shake
ˈhan(d)-ˌshāk 
: a clasping usually of right hands by two people (as in greeting or farewell)
Examples of handshake in a Sentence
She greeted him with a handshake.
He has a firm handshake.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tensions were quickly diffused when the two head coaches, Sherrone Moore and Ryan Day, met for a postgame handshake.
—
Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
And at the half, Northbridge alumni from every decade dating back to the 1950s walked onto the field, each one giving Ken LaChapelle a handshake followed by a hug.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
But there’s value to the subtle, occasional mention of an appropriate insider name, a gesture that’s more like a secret handshake than the work of an oafish show-off.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2025
Last month, Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch punched Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after Smith-Schuster took exception to Branch refusing to shake Patrick Mahomes’ hand during the teams’ postgame handshakes.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handshake
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.
Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
And at the half, Northbridge alumni from every decade dating back to the 1950s walked onto the field, each one giving Ken LaChapelle a handshake followed by a hug.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025
But there’s value to the subtle, occasional mention of an appropriate insider name, a gesture that’s more like a secret handshake than the work of an oafish show-off.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2025
Last month, Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch punched Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster after Smith-Schuster took exception to Branch refusing to shake Patrick Mahomes’ hand during the teams’ postgame handshakes.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handshake
Cite this Entry
“Handshake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handshake. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handshake
noun
hand·shake
-ˌshāk
: a clasping of hands by two people especially in greeting or farewell
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share