as in few
a small number
only a handful of people signed up for the wintertime hike
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Recent Examples of handful
Thursday and Friday saw temperatures significantly higher than the seasonal normal across the region, leading to a handful of records.
—
Austin Turner, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
Some dogs eat large numbers of grapes or raisins with no problems; others can die after eating less than a handful of raisins.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
But the Irish won’t be the only ones celebrating Tuesday — a handful of politicians hope to be as well.
—Grace Miserocchi, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The year was 1994, and a handful of Irish lads were gathered at a hotel in Northern Ireland to celebrate Colin Cather’s pending nuptials.
—Abby Ellin, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handful
Austin Turner, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
Some dogs eat large numbers of grapes or raisins with no problems; others can die after eating less than a handful of raisins.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
But the Irish won’t be the only ones celebrating Tuesday — a handful of politicians hope to be as well.
—Grace Miserocchi, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The year was 1994, and a handful of Irish lads were gathered at a hotel in Northern Ireland to celebrate Colin Cather’s pending nuptials.
—Abby Ellin, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for handful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handful
couple
Noun
-
There are photographers and lighting assistants and makeup artists, with each set of professionals clustered around the couple.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
-
For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handful. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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