pan·han·dle
ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl 
: a narrow projection of a larger territory (such as a state)
the Oklahoma Panhandle
panhandled; panhandling
ˈpan-ˌhan(d)-liŋ
-ˌhan-dᵊl-iŋ
: to stop people on the street and ask for food or money : beg
Examples of panhandle in a Sentence
Noun
The Texas Panhandle is the northernmost part of the state.
Verb
He panhandled for his bus fare.
There is a law against panhandling in the subway.
Recent Examples on the Web
Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The announcement is the latest blow for the steel industry in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.
—John Raby, Quartz, 15 Feb. 2024
In early February, Armstrong started tracking reports of a mysterious illness in dairy cattle on the Texas panhandle and other states.
—Will Stone, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
The company was founded in 1955 by Paul Amos and his brothers John and Bill, who moved up from the Florida panhandle for the specific purpose of setting up an insurer.
—Maria Aspan, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
After crossing the panhandle of Florida, now flying at just a few hundred miles per hour, small drogue parachutes inflated to stabilize the spacecraft followed by the four main chutes.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Authorities in Oklahoma's panhandle Thursday continued to investigate the official cause of a pipeline explosion in a small town near the north Texas border.
—Alexia Aston, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
That was the case for Dr. Christopher LeCroy, who works for a chain of vascular clinics across the Florida panhandle; about half of his first-time atherectomy patients appeared to have milder disease based on their diagnosis, according to the data.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
And south near the Texas panhandle, the weather service warned of very dry conditions in parts, alongside strong winds.
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Calmatters, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The woman, who has not been named, had been panhandling in Tampa since January, and met Medina that month, per the statement.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Like other castaways, John often panhandled in the city.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
The number of homeless people has spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic, but city efforts to crack down on camping, loitering and panhandling predate the public health crisis.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024
The rain is forecast to hit from the Florida panhandle up to near D.C. around 7 a.m. Sunday.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2023
Alexandria police issued about 50 summonses using the panhandling ordinance over the last decade, and none have been issued since 2020, Fleming said.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2023
Carroll Strickland was among those who used to sleep in tents outside Union Station and panhandle inside the terminal, sometimes to the annoyance of hurried passengers.
—Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
City officials since at least 2021 have publicly presented the restriction as a way to address complaints stemming from people panhandling while on the dividing strip or in the middle of streets where there is no median.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
Noun
The song mentions a timeshare in Destin, a northwest city located near Pensacola on the panhandle tip of the state.
—Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The announcement is the latest blow for the steel industry in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.
—John Raby, Quartz, 15 Feb. 2024
In early February, Armstrong started tracking reports of a mysterious illness in dairy cattle on the Texas panhandle and other states.
—Will Stone, NPR, 4 Apr. 2024
The company was founded in 1955 by Paul Amos and his brothers John and Bill, who moved up from the Florida panhandle for the specific purpose of setting up an insurer.
—Maria Aspan, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024
After crossing the panhandle of Florida, now flying at just a few hundred miles per hour, small drogue parachutes inflated to stabilize the spacecraft followed by the four main chutes.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024
Authorities in Oklahoma's panhandle Thursday continued to investigate the official cause of a pipeline explosion in a small town near the north Texas border.
—Alexia Aston, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
That was the case for Dr. Christopher LeCroy, who works for a chain of vascular clinics across the Florida panhandle; about half of his first-time atherectomy patients appeared to have milder disease based on their diagnosis, according to the data.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2023
And south near the Texas panhandle, the weather service warned of very dry conditions in parts, alongside strong winds.
—USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024
Verb
California cities already have more than 800 laws on their books criminalizing behaviors typically exhibited by unhoused people, such as sitting, resting or sleeping in public, or panhandling, according to the Western Regional Advocacy Project.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The woman, who has not been named, had been panhandling in Tampa since January, and met Medina that month, per the statement.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Like other castaways, John often panhandled in the city.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
The number of homeless people has spiked since the COVID-19 pandemic, but city efforts to crack down on camping, loitering and panhandling predate the public health crisis.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024
The rain is forecast to hit from the Florida panhandle up to near D.C. around 7 a.m. Sunday.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2023
Alexandria police issued about 50 summonses using the panhandling ordinance over the last decade, and none have been issued since 2020, Fleming said.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2023
Carroll Strickland was among those who used to sleep in tents outside Union Station and panhandle inside the terminal, sometimes to the annoyance of hurried passengers.
—Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023
City officials since at least 2021 have publicly presented the restriction as a way to address complaints stemming from people panhandling while on the dividing strip or in the middle of streets where there is no median.
—Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panhandle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near panhandle
Cite this Entry
“Panhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panhandle. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
panhandle
1 of 2 noun
pan·han·dle
ˈpan-ˌhan-dᵊl
: a narrow strip of territory that extends from a larger territory (as a state)
the Texas Panhandle
panhandle
2 of 2 verb
panhandled; panhandling
-ˌhan-(d)liŋ,
-dᵊl-iŋ
: to beg for money on the street
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