hand over 1 of 2

1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another hand over that screwdriver, will you please?

Synonyms & Similar Words

handover

2 of 2

noun

as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another though the handover of my wallet was painful, it was better than getting shot by some trigger-happy punk

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 hand over
Verb
The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross before being transferred to the Israeli military, to be brought to the Re’im base in southern Israel. Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025 According to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces, the hostages were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza. Victor Loh,emma Graham, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
The handover of the living hostages is expected to begin Monday. Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025 His arrival comes against the backdrop of a generational handover on the management side, with the arrival in 2022 of Leena Nair as global chief executive officer of the brand. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
  • Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.
    Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The park’s quiet debut brings to fruition what was envisioned in October 2021, when the city of San Diego relinquished its rights to lease the block from IQHQ and instead entered into a contractual arrangement with the company for a 96-year term.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Arrington provided several recommendations on how to acquire such a replica.
    Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The governor vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have provided more transparency around the water usage of data centers, which regularly require millions of gallons of fresh water to cool their computers.
    Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And while handing Ole Miss its first loss of the year was reason to celebrate, things got pretty somber rather quickly for the Bulldogs after learning the injury status of one of their top playmakers.
    Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • There are Reddit groups dedicated to the hobby of collecting new and vintage matchbooks, and even a website called Matchbooktraveler that catalogs restaurants in the United States that hand them out.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This is basically a surrender on Hamas's part.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Families who want to adopt usually want babies, and through these surrenders, care workers can make a family’s dream come true.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • False or deceptive votes and/or acts will render the respective Finalist ineligible.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • If enough satellites are in orbit, this debris could set off a chain reaction, rendering the environment around Earth practically impassable.
    Big Think, Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The quick and portable system also gives investigators the ability to do DNA analysis anywhere without the need for a labratory.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • However, since the announcement, discourse around who should and shouldn’t be given wings exposed just how stuck in the past some viewers still are.
    Essence, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Vital witnesses were killed in the blast All 16 people inside the facility died in the blast, leaving behind a devastated network of coworkers and loved ones as well as depriving investigators of crucial accounts of the final moments leading up to the explosion.
    Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Most of those who shaped or even marginally influenced the events of October 7th are gone, leaving Gaza’s authority withered to the point that even managing the hostages has become paralyzingly difficult.
    Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Sponsors assume no responsibility for any error, omissions, interruption, deletion, defect or delay in operation with transmission, communications, line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or allegation of submissions.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Unfortunately, the Trinbagonian superstar would probably have been better off focusing his efforts on one submission.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!