handshake

noun

hand·shake | \ ˈhan(d)-ˌshāk

Definition of handshake

: 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

There were handshakes all around, and then the threesome stood side-by-side as a military band played the American national anthem. — Jill Colvin, BostonGlobe.com, "After Trump’s tumult, time for tea with the queen," 13 July 2018 There were handshakes, fist bumps and a few bro hugs. — Joe Freeman, OregonLive.com, "Portland Trail Blazers 'not done yet' after clinching spot in Western Conference playoffs," 2 Apr. 2018 Efrain Gonzalez’s suit claimed that Gutierrez breached a 1999 handshake deal that entitled him to 50 percent of the proceeds of the eventual sale of Bexar Waste in return for providing equipment for its operations between 1999 and 2014. — Zeke Maccormack, San Antonio Express-News, "Schertz slaying stumps investigators," 26 Mar. 2018 Cardiac Kemba Calhoun, as was often the case after a buzzer-beater, had to compose himself for the handshake line after Kemba Walker delivered his signature step-back jumper against Pittsburgh in the 2011 Big East tournament. 5. — Chris Brodeur, courant.com, "On Jim Calhoun's 76th Birthday, 7 Joyful Moments And 6 That Weren't So Joyful," 10 May 2018 The smiling side of a handshake line at the end of the second round was a brand-new experience for Alex Ovechkin and Barry Trotz. — Stephen Whyno, baltimoresun.com, "Ovechkin, Trotz are in new territory with Capitals in conference finals," 9 May 2018 Even in encrypted traffic, carriers can generally see the domain name specified in the TLS handshake, Choffnes said. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "How a phone app detected Sprint’s alleged throttling of Skype," 29 Nov. 2018 There were a lot of rules to follow, such as not hugging other children, although a handshake was ok. — Roxana Hegeman, The Seattle Times, "Guatemalan boy reunites with father after weeks in Kansas," 24 July 2018 More Essays The good news is that handshakes can be an effective way of forging a bond, too. — Peggy Drexler, WSJ, "A Farewell to Arms?," 21 June 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.

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Last Updated

14 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for handshake

The first known use of handshake was in 1802

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More Definitions for handshake

handshake

noun

English Language Learners Definition of handshake

: 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

See the full definition for handshake in the English Language Learners Dictionary

handshake

noun

hand·shake | \ ˈhand-ˌshāk