1
as in control
the ability to direct the course of something
the final decision is in your hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enjoyment
the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal
I'd like to get my hands on that vintage Cadillac convertible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in provides
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passes
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
the clerk handed her the receipt
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leaves
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed me her bundles while she fished for her house keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hands
Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
Video posted to social media showed passengers with their hands raised as law enforcement officers entered the cabin and removed one passenger.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
But even spot-on political strategies are futile if electoral oversight is in the hands of conspiracy theorists like Kurt Olsen, the White House Director of Election Security and Integrity.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Champagne wears a glinting gold fanny pack (bags, after all, can be confiscated), and both have their phones tethered to wrist straps, so hands remain free to rummage.
—Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Stock Up on Sensory Activities for Little Ones For stay at home moms with babies and toddlers, keeping tiny hands and curious minds occupied requires a slightly different approach.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Testifying in his own defense, Tyler said Wofford pointed a gun at him, her finger on the trigger, hands slightly shaking and eyes darting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Eldest brother Tal dropped his head between his hands as his attorney, Deanna Paul, comforted him.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Two fatal shootings at the hands of police officers in a little over a week in Hartford that involved men experiencing mental health crises have drawn criticism and raised concerns over what services are available to individuals and how calls for help are handled.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Another actor, named Alex, turns around and hands me his sides.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
While Flaherty is visiting, a friend arrives, and Reyna hands her a large black garbage bag of children's clothes for the woman's toddler son.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Polls show that the majority of Ukrainians oppose a deal that hands Moscow land.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Dad hands me the paper, the certificate of ownership from the National Archives.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The artist then walks over and hands Lincoln what appears to be a Grammy.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Linden grabs a bottle of water from our minifridge and hands it to me.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
As Tara runs up to grab one of the antidotes, her best friend Johnny (who is sitting beside it) reaches over and grabs it, then hands it down the table to Kristen.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
But the other teams in the NFC South aren’t just sitting on their hands.
—Charlotte Observer, 10 Mar. 2026
Video posted to social media showed passengers with their hands raised as law enforcement officers entered the cabin and removed one passenger.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
But even spot-on political strategies are futile if electoral oversight is in the hands of conspiracy theorists like Kurt Olsen, the White House Director of Election Security and Integrity.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Champagne wears a glinting gold fanny pack (bags, after all, can be confiscated), and both have their phones tethered to wrist straps, so hands remain free to rummage.
—Zoey Goto, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
Stock Up on Sensory Activities for Little Ones For stay at home moms with babies and toddlers, keeping tiny hands and curious minds occupied requires a slightly different approach.
—Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Testifying in his own defense, Tyler said Wofford pointed a gun at him, her finger on the trigger, hands slightly shaking and eyes darting.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Eldest brother Tal dropped his head between his hands as his attorney, Deanna Paul, comforted him.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Two fatal shootings at the hands of police officers in a little over a week in Hartford that involved men experiencing mental health crises have drawn criticism and raised concerns over what services are available to individuals and how calls for help are handled.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
As for the government’s retreat on electric vehicles, who knows why Americans won’t buy an EV unless the government hands them $7,500?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Another actor, named Alex, turns around and hands me his sides.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
While Flaherty is visiting, a friend arrives, and Reyna hands her a large black garbage bag of children's clothes for the woman's toddler son.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Polls show that the majority of Ukrainians oppose a deal that hands Moscow land.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Dad hands me the paper, the certificate of ownership from the National Archives.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The artist then walks over and hands Lincoln what appears to be a Grammy.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Linden grabs a bottle of water from our minifridge and hands it to me.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
As Tara runs up to grab one of the antidotes, her best friend Johnny (who is sitting beside it) reaches over and grabs it, then hands it down the table to Kristen.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands
Noun
-
Because the diagnosis was so unusual, zoo staff examined the bodies of 64 free-ranging roof rats that had either been euthanized in the course of regular pest control or found dead on the property.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
These adjustments, referred to as population controls, are likely to show steep downward revisions to both population and labor-force levels – largely reflecting reduced immigration.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And could an impact on the reward circuitry in the brain have an effect on everyday enjoyment of life, desire and positive-risk-taking?—
Meg Tirrell,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
That reaction — genuine, visceral enjoyment from someone who evaluates food professionally — is about as strong an endorsement as an improvised pita sandwich can get.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Or, this versatile, lightweight neck pillow from Trtl is much less bulky than your average option but still provides support by keeping your neck upright while padding it.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Bluehost provides a more streamlined, beginner-friendly experience owing to its Wondersuite website creation tools.—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The train passes through several pristine natural environments, including the Hudson River, the Adirondack foothills, and Lake Champlain.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But then — for a price — Disney offers various ‘lightning lane’ passes that allow folks to have access to a shorter line or otherwise skip the line with a reservation time.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Still, the privacy inherent in private credit often leaves an information vacuum that observers fill with worst-case scenarios.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Tender’s assets Tender CEO Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) engineers the downfall of co-founder Jonah Atterbury (Kal Penn) and eventually leaves Henry holding the bag for the company’s fraud.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Undefeated UConn still has its grasp on that, though a loss in the Big East title game would open the door for the Bruins, but UCLA will be on the top line heading to Sacramento for the regional round.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In this case and elsewhere, Rakoff has shown a superb grasp of technology issues.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jalloh’s lengthy criminal history includes more than 30 arrests for charges of rape, assault, drug possession, property destruction, identity theft, trespassing, firing a weapon, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
-
After two decades of grinding — and in possession of generational wealth — Blackburn attempted retirement.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fish emulsion supplies essential nutrients and supports soil microbial health, while liquid seaweed adds trace elements and growth hormones that enhance plant resilience and reduce drought stress.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The Biden administration declassified intelligence findings that showed Iran supplies Moscow with attack drones and has assisted the Kremlin with building a drone-manufacturing factory.—
Seung Min Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
