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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of handing
Nye stopped short of handing a full victory to Boise.
—
Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman, 3 June 2026
First, tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act generated larger-than-usual refunds earlier this year, effectively handing consumers a cash cushion just as income was weakening.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
In March, finally, the Rams blew the top off the cornerback market by trading for Chiefs star Trent McDuffie and handing him a four-year deal worth $31 million yearly.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
Potentially handing Disney a $100 million+ loss.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
As those creators have grown, Disney is now handing them the keys to continue the tradition.
—Jon Youshaei, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
The Cardinals wound up with a 6-5 win, handing the Cubs their 11th loss in 13 games before a raucous crowd of 37,564, most of whom kept their shirts on.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
Global Constellation, which is a Vuelta company, is handing all international rights and co-representing North American rights with Gersh.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 May 2026
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu | Getty Images American Airlines plans to outfit more than 500 of its narrow-body aircraft with Starlink, handing another win to Elon Musk's SpaceX unit that has made inroads with major carriers for in-flight Wi-Fi.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Darin Oswald, Idaho Statesman, 3 June 2026
First, tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act generated larger-than-usual refunds earlier this year, effectively handing consumers a cash cushion just as income was weakening.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
In March, finally, the Rams blew the top off the cornerback market by trading for Chiefs star Trent McDuffie and handing him a four-year deal worth $31 million yearly.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
Potentially handing Disney a $100 million+ loss.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
As those creators have grown, Disney is now handing them the keys to continue the tradition.
—Jon Youshaei, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
The Cardinals wound up with a 6-5 win, handing the Cubs their 11th loss in 13 games before a raucous crowd of 37,564, most of whom kept their shirts on.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026
Global Constellation, which is a Vuelta company, is handing all international rights and co-representing North American rights with Gersh.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 May 2026
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu | Getty Images American Airlines plans to outfit more than 500 of its narrow-body aircraft with Starlink, handing another win to Elon Musk's SpaceX unit that has made inroads with major carriers for in-flight Wi-Fi.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing
Verb
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Once your baby arrives, preventive steps include ensuring a healthy skin barrier to prevent easy access for triggers to enter the body and providing effective allergy care to reduce the risk of asthma developing.—
Dr. Daniel DiGiacomo,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
Maintaining proper moisture and providing well-draining soil are essential to avoiding these diseases.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Congress could also intervene, Budington said, by passing legislation that allows a private right of action after data breaches, allowing victims to pursue cases directly instead of relying on state laws or waiting for state attorneys general to take up a case.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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The long days of summer feel designed for leisurely train travel, journeys that unfold at an unhurried pace and encourage travelers to settle in and enjoy the passing scenery.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2026
Verb
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This new dating trend is leaving people baffled and heartbroken.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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Next, lift, don’t pour, the produce out of the bowl, leaving the dirt at the bottom.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Special commando units were also deployed to the location and carried out intelligence-gathering missions and drone operations, the other two sources said, giving Israel a valuable perch from which to see into northern Iran during the war.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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The show is still using some of those songs, giving the score’s relationship to the script a half-in, half-out near-jukebox feeling.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Photonics, the use of light to transmit data, is an emerging technology considered to be a more efficient alternative to the current process of transferring data using electricity.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
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For Jackson, that meant starting at a mid-major, learning about the game and proving himself before transferring to an SEC power.—
Teddy Cahill,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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There’s a similar mismatch happening with fourth lines in the series, too, with Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour entrusting William Carrier, Mark Jankowski and Eric Robinson with key minutes and being rewarded with three key goals already in this series.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
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What to read next NASA also wants SpaceX and Blue Origin to fully demonstrate successful uncrewed touchdowns on the moon, and liftoffs back to lunar orbit, before entrusting the lives of astronauts aboard the landers.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The base is used to store fuel reserves supplying the Russian military, according to the statement posted on Telegram.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
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But there have been questions about their ties in recent years, with North Korea prioritizing cooperation with Russia by supplying troops and weapons to support its war against Ukraine.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The system can reportedly target threats flying as low as 50 feet above the ground and at altitudes reaching approximately 17 miles.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
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More importantly, the engines only need to be started shortly before reaching the active runway threshold.—
David Szondy
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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