1
as in providing
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption
was happy to hand her grandmother's cookie recipes to the parish ladies to put in their cookbook
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
the clerk handed her the receipt
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leaving
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed me her bundles while she fished for her house keys
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handing
Children were often seen handing the monks flowers, who in return gifted blessing strings.
—
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Spence, now 35, was knocked down three times by a dominant Crawford before the fight was stopped in the ninth round, handing the Spence the only loss of his career.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The segment was meant to symbolize the artist handing a Grammy to his younger self, a representative from Ramadan’s talent agency W Group told CNN on Sunday.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
But Darnold also had the privilege of handing the ball to Walker, who ran 14 times for 94 yards, the second-most in a first half in Super Bowl history.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
With Baylor leading off and Collier anchoring, the moment felt fitting — one brother handing the torch to another.
—Ansley Gavlak, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Jaylen Brown had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Dallas 110-100 on Tuesday night, overcoming another stellar showing from Cooper Flagg and handing the Mavericks their season-worst fifth consecutive loss.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Keep in mind Atlanta didn’t interview a minority for the top executive role before handing Ryan power to make decisions.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Spence, now 35, was knocked down three times by a dominant Crawford before the fight was stopped in the ninth round, handing the Spence the only loss of his career.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
The segment was meant to symbolize the artist handing a Grammy to his younger self, a representative from Ramadan’s talent agency W Group told CNN on Sunday.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
But Darnold also had the privilege of handing the ball to Walker, who ran 14 times for 94 yards, the second-most in a first half in Super Bowl history.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
With Baylor leading off and Collier anchoring, the moment felt fitting — one brother handing the torch to another.
—Ansley Gavlak, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Jaylen Brown had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Dallas 110-100 on Tuesday night, overcoming another stellar showing from Cooper Flagg and handing the Mavericks their season-worst fifth consecutive loss.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
Keep in mind Atlanta didn’t interview a minority for the top executive role before handing Ryan power to make decisions.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing
Verb
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Defenseman Noah Hanifin added another when his shot got through Mads Sogaard and trickled over the goal line a bit later, providing some breathing room that proved necessary.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some even attract animals and rodents by providing them with shelter.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 37 years old, Stafford led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), while recording a career-low eight interceptions.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Attempting to break an Eastern Washington University receiving record is like trying to set a franchise passing mark with the Patriots.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a strange twist, the Max app was developed by VKontakte (VK), which Durov co-founded before selling his shares and leaving Russia in 2014, after Durov said the Kremlin had asked the site to hand over Ukrainian users’ data.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Those many Americans who still understand that freedom is the magic elixir that drives growth and prosperity are exiting blue states, leaving them to stew in their left-wing, socialist, low-growth and low-opportunity juices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This research marks the first time scientists have identified the specific amino acids — arginine and tyrosine — that act as molecular glue, giving spider silk its legendary properties.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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There are also giant granite boulders dotting the shore, giving it a decidedly remote, rugged feel.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 6-foot-2 guard/forward is in his first season with the Cougars after transferring from Andrean last spring.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Few knew what kind of influence the 7-4 center would have after transferring from Boston and missing a year because of a knee injury.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At any rate, the fact that NBC is entrusting its sportsapalooza to Tirico speaks volumes about the quality of his work and his broad appeal as a television personality.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Before dying of cancer in 2013, Chávez handpicked Maduro as his successor, entrusting him with a country already buckling under the weight of dependence on oil, and the realization that prosperity was coming to an end.—
Jorge Valencia,
NPR,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Snowmaking specialist TechnoAlpin, which is supplying this year’s Winter Olympics, said technology has advanced significantly over recent decades, reducing energy demand and water consumption.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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The blue trail explores Moncler’s history as a technical gear specialist, from outfitting alpine workers to supplying attire for mountaineering expeditions.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tuesday may see some isolated flurries early and partly sunny skies during the day, reaching a high in the low 40s, forecasts show.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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The Dow reaching 50,000 is an amazing milestone, Silverblatt said.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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