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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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
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026
Venezuela passed the 1943 Hydrocarbons Law, which forced foreign oil companies to hand over half of their oil profits, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
The move comes as luxury experts widely expected Hermès to choose from inside the house over radical change for the once-in-a-generation handover, especially since its ready-to-wear business is strong.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
According to court documents, Bressington first tried asking Reddit to hand over information about the users in the thread.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026
Venezuela passed the 1943 Hydrocarbons Law, which forced foreign oil companies to hand over half of their oil profits, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
Hackers are now taking advantage of LastPass’s after-death account handover procedures to dupe people into providing their login details.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
The move comes as luxury experts widely expected Hermès to choose from inside the house over radical change for the once-in-a-generation handover, especially since its ready-to-wear business is strong.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
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As Buffett relinquishes the helm, investors are increasingly focused on what disappears with him.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
1 Jan. 2026
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More typically, the figures in Marshall’s art are haunted by a past that refuses to relinquish its tenacious hold.—
James Meyer,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The study also provides a previously unidentified constraint for models of tidal heat production, shell thickness, and the long-term evolution of Enceladus’ ocean.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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The indictment contends that Jones provided information regarding key players on the Los Angeles Lakers’ status in advance of games on two dates to enable third-parties to make potentially favorable bets.—
Samidh Guha,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Trump came close to victory in the 2020 presidential election but may have contributed to the Republican Party’s defeat in the Georgia Senate runoff election, handing the Democratic Party full control of Washington for the first time since 2011.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
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Grounds laid for a civil court appeal Before the judge handed the case to the jury Wednesday, the defense argued a statement by one of Zwerner’s attorneys that Parker did not testify in her defense could be seen as prejudicial by the jury.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
According to sources, Washington may demand that Rodríguez facilitate the arrest or surrender of Padrino and Cabello to accompany Maduro, who appeared before a New York judge Monday to hear drug trafficking charges.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
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Anniversary of Noriega’s surrender Maduro’s arrest came 36 years to the date of the surrender of Panama’s strongman Manuel Noriega, a notable milestone in American involvement in the Western Hemisphere.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For centuries, the doctrine of coverture rendered married women the property of their husbands with no legal rights of their own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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This gray panel matches the collar and Wings logo, and the rest of the upper is rendered in white and off-white.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Historically, the water’s purity was singular, giving life to a watershed that flourished because of a unique paucity of nutrients, a situation that hindered the pursuit of any single species that would dominate the rest.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Utopia Bedding Quilted Comforter This Utopia Bedding comforter keeps my bed looking super fluffy and cloud-like and gives my bedroom an expensive look.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The departure of Stockton and Warren leaves head coach Spencer Danielson with the task of replacing two secondary coaches.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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Members of the Minneapolis City Council, in a joint statement, demanded that ICE leave the city following the shooting.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For him, embracing this year’s Palme d’Or winner as France’s Oscar submission — giving Panahi a platform that had long been out of reach — felt like a natural next step for an ecosystem that has consistently embraced global auteurs.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
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Three states have announced their submissions of their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) plans to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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