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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to hand
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed over their valuables to the desk clerk, who put them in the hotel safe
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand over
Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The situation was handed over to the Atlanta Police Department for further investigation into the gunfire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The last handover occurred in July 2025.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
Poogan, as the tale goes, was a scrappy, lovable dog who stuck around well after the home’s last occupants boxed up their belongings and handed over their keys in 1976.
—Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The situation was handed over to the Atlanta Police Department for further investigation into the gunfire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
The process is one that typically takes place during what NASA refers to as a handover period before outgoing astronauts depart the space station, which in this case would have been Crew-11.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The last handover occurred in July 2025.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
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The first goal came when goalkeeper John Pulskamp relinquished the ball to opposing striker Wessam Abou Ali in the box.—
PJ Green
March 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Two were relinquished in the 1990s.—
Coalter G Lathrop,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The county has still provided no clear answers about why west Altadena didn’t receive prompt evacuation alerts, or saw minimal firefighters, during the Eaton fire, according to relatives of the victims.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Zelenskyy noted that providing interceptors was not enough to help fight drone attacks.—
SYLVIE CORBET,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In short, the court handed the president an off-ramp from one of the most unpopular economic policies of his second term, with a legitimate constitutional explanation attached.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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Two weeks ago, Texas Tech handed Iowa State its only home loss of the season.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Trump also talks about Iran’s unconditional surrender without really detailing what those surrender terms might look like.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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What does that look like, unconditional surrender?—
Major Garrett,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Three of these factors played a key role in rendering the AXIS mission ineligible for selection.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Mar. 2026
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At the conclusion of closing arguments, the court will issue a decision or the jury will render a verdict.—
Florence Taylor Barner,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Noting some confusion over the like-for-like numbers this year, given recent changes to the business structure, the analysts said that weapon and ammunition growth will remain elevated, and there is scope for its naval business to be resilient, too.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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The dozens of demonstrators who signed up to give their public comment had to wait outside.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Late November through May is the dry season there, which means fewer rains to stir up the water—leaving it with some of the clearest visibility for snorkeling and diving all year.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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San Francisco put on the hardest of sells on to try to keep the talented linebacker — head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch flew to Texas to try to talk him out of leaving — but Greenlaw ultimately chose the Broncos.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The eighth edition of the Joburg Film Festival wrapped Sunday, putting a bow on a busy week that saw organizers fielding a record 700 submissions from nearly 100 countries — a testament to their ongoing efforts to turn the growing event into the premier platform for cinema on the continent.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
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Then, the sound of our submission.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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