in hand

phrase

1

: in one's possession or control

had matters well in hand

with money in hand

2

: in preparation

a new play in hand

3

: under consideration

took the matter in hand

Examples of in hand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just three days after surgery to remove one of his kidneys, Miller slowly strolled right in — cane in hand — and took a seat with Council, firing off jokes without missing a beat. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026

With this fast-approaching launch date and the program’s brief approval window, travelers could have an Argentine passport in hand in a matter of months. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Meghan shows a pot of berries boiling on the stove, and pans over to little Lilibet, wooden spoon in hand. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

On Friday, Messi posted a picture of himself supporting Eldense after their 4-1 win against Real Oviedo, mate gourd in hand. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for in hand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand