variants
also handsful
as in couples
a small number
only a handful of people signed up for the wintertime hike
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handfuls
The notion that skin prep is all that’s needed is one Frankel’s instilled in her daughter, Bryn, despite having handfuls of free makeup products at her disposal.
—
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Top the crust with a few handfuls of pecan halves, pour the filling on top, then drizzle with molasses.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
How about a philosophical horror formatted like an academic paper and flavored with several heaping handfuls of satire?
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
While throwing handfuls of laundry into the machine is fine for a basic load of whites, large or delicate items like comforters require a bit of TLC.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
Cafe Lux employees have had to hide the cards – normally in a stack at the maître d’ stand — lest patrons take handfuls.
—Rima Suqi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Before the inevitable return to any-season bloody marys, grab a few ripe, heavy handfuls and get shaking.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
This can cause hair shedding in large handfuls about a month after high stress.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Top the crust with a few handfuls of pecan halves, pour the filling on top, then drizzle with molasses.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Typically, by the time the first scene hits the screen, handfuls (more likely hordes) of people have had first looks including cast, crew, friends, family, media, agents, managers, publicists, etc.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
How about a philosophical horror formatted like an academic paper and flavored with several heaping handfuls of satire?
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
While throwing handfuls of laundry into the machine is fine for a basic load of whites, large or delicate items like comforters require a bit of TLC.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
Cafe Lux employees have had to hide the cards – normally in a stack at the maître d’ stand — lest patrons take handfuls.
—Rima Suqi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Before the inevitable return to any-season bloody marys, grab a few ripe, heavy handfuls and get shaking.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
This can cause hair shedding in large handfuls about a month after high stress.
—Carley Millhone, Health, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handfuls
Noun
-
Perched against the rugged shoreline away from Waikiki, Turtle Bay is ideal for families, couples or groups of friends, offering activities like surfing lessons, for people of all abilities, and horseback riding.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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Studies conducted in recent years have shown that women in heterosexual couples predominantly take on the brunt of domestic tasks—managing the family’s calendar, unloading the dishwasher, feeding pets.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Their innovation, called retina E-paper, uses nanoparticles to control how light scatters, achieving lifelike color reproduction that can be tuned electrically.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Weed scatters and falls between the wood slats.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handfuls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handfuls. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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