hand 1 of 2

noun

ˈhand How to pronounce hand (audio)
Definition of handnext
1
as in side
a certain way in which something appears or may be regarded on the one hand, you would have more storage space in a larger house, but on the other, you would have more rooms to heat

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2
as in flank
a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line tall buildings rose on either hand nothing but wide open space on either hand

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3
as in needle
an arrow-shaped piece on a dial or scale for registering information both hands of the clock pointed to 12

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4
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary the restaurant always hires several more hands for the busy summer season

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5
as in handwriting
the form or style of a particular person's writing writes with a flowing, old-fashioned hand

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6
as in control
usually hands plural the ability to direct the course of something the final decision is in your hands

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7
as in possession
hands plural the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal I'd like to get my hands on that vintage Cadillac convertible

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8
as in assistance
an act or instance of helping the downstairs tenant gave us a hand getting the heavy dresser up the stairs

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9
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field once she got her own place, the young woman showed that she was quite a hand at interior decoration

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10
as in signature
a person's name written in their own handwriting often given to indicate awareness or consent the subpoena required a lawyer's hand

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hand

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption was happy to hand her grandmother's cookie recipes to the parish ladies to put in their cookbook

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another the clerk handed her the receipt

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3
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another handed me her bundles while she fished for her house keys

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hand
Noun
That has translated to the number of homes trading hands to hover near 30-year lows for the past three years. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026 That system uses a body from Chinese humanoid company Unitree and mechanical hands from Sharpa. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
It was intended to ensure that voters were handed the correct ballot. — David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 At omakase restaurants, a hand roll is typically a penultimate bite — the fish trimmings minced, seasoning with a flutter of scallion greens and handed across the bar. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand
  1. side
  2. needle
  3. employee
  4. handwriting
  5. control
  6. possession
  7. assistance
  8. expert
Noun
  • Using the textured side of a meat mallet, gently pound the meat until it’s slightly flattened, creating indentations all over the surface.
    — Natalia Vela, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The pickup truck was traveling west on Victory Avenue and making a right turn onto northbound Stockton Boulevard when the driver felt an impact on the right side of the truck, CHP Officer Michael Harper of the South Sacramento office said.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of side
Noun
  • The photo showed what appeared to be a pin or needle found inside a candy bar.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • If a blood test could reliably detect amyloid, then a person with no memory problems could, in principle, have a needle stick and emerge with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of needle
Noun
  • Early returns also showed voters favoring Measure A, which would establish binding arbitration for sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and other public safety employees who by law cannot go on strike.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Mauldin, chair of the city’s Planning Commission and an employee of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, emphasized responsible growth, affordable housing and improvements to roads, public transit and utilities.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • Many of the edit tools can also be applied to multiple pages at a time, including edge cropping, hole filling, handwriting erase, and standardization (such as for scaling or background color processing).
    — David English, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Federal prosecutors allege that the handwriting in that message was matched with the new batch of letters through a handwriting analysis.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of handwriting
Noun
  • The surrounding gate offers tighter control over current flow, helping address the challenges of further transistor scaling.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenberg was sworn in as assistant attorney general in charge of the department's National Security Division in June 2025 and oversaw cases involving espionage, terrorism, export control violations, cyber crimes and other matters.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • Part of that mission is consolidating as many of the princess’ possessions as possible.
    — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • June 21 – July 22 An old possession could have something new to offer you.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of possession
Noun
  • Even with the assistance of his friend Sherri (Quinta Brunson) and Gary the intern (Yang), a hilariously snooty nepo hire, the Cat is in an impossible position — can his adventure with Gabby and Sebastian work in his favor?
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Petition training, legal assistance, voter registration, county committee organizing, and multilingual outreach gave emerging leaders the tools to compete.
    — Joey Saban, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of assistance
Noun
  • Shane Hemphill is a landscape design expert and co-founder of Art of the Yard, a Denver company that specializes in water features and garden landscapes.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The planes landed safely at Paris' Orly Airport and bomb disposal experts conducted inspections.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of expert

Phrases Containing hand

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hamstrung
hand
handbag
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Cite this Entry

“Hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hand

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hand

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