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

Devers petulantly left the field, avoided handshakes and butt slaps in the dugout, and retreated to the clubhouse. — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Amid speculation over the customary pre-match handshake ahead of the game against Ghana, which finished 0-0, the BBC reported that England's Football Association did not discuss it with players beforehand. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026

The scene is blurred, as if the limb were in motion, but Power has suspended the gesture into a tense yet amicable handshake between man and machine. — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 23 June 2026

The rise of the handshake did not precipitate the loss of hat-doffing. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing handshake

• golden handshake

Rhymes for handshake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• forsake
• gouache
• headache
• heartache

Kids Definition

handshake

noun

hand·​shake -ˌshāk 

: a clasping of hands by two people especially in greeting or farewell