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
Almost fifty years ahead of the battles of World War II, the Marquis de Morès had faced death in order to avoid handing Africa over to the British and the Jews.
—
Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
In one clip, Brian prepares his father and son to set out on their college road trip, handing his dad a backpack with his son’s asthma and allergy medications inside.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Under the direction of new owner David Ellison, the son of conservative billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison, CBS's parent company, Paramount Skydance, bought Weiss's independent news publication, The Free Press, for $150 million, handing her the reins of CBS News shortly thereafter.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
North Carolina regulators this week blocked Carolina Water Service from imposing a temporary rate increase, handing a short-term victory to thousands of homeowners already fighting a broader, long-term hike.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
General manager Brian Cashman, entering his 29th season on the job, has done some of his finest roster-building work of the post-dynasty years in handing Boone a club capable of winning its first title since 2009.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 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
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
Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
In one clip, Brian prepares his father and son to set out on their college road trip, handing his dad a backpack with his son’s asthma and allergy medications inside.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
Under the direction of new owner David Ellison, the son of conservative billionaire and Trump ally Larry Ellison, CBS's parent company, Paramount Skydance, bought Weiss's independent news publication, The Free Press, for $150 million, handing her the reins of CBS News shortly thereafter.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
North Carolina regulators this week blocked Carolina Water Service from imposing a temporary rate increase, handing a short-term victory to thousands of homeowners already fighting a broader, long-term hike.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
General manager Brian Cashman, entering his 29th season on the job, has done some of his finest roster-building work of the post-dynasty years in handing Boone a club capable of winning its first title since 2009.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 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
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
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
-
Some even attract animals and rodents by providing them with shelter.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Freeman’s contract is already more than halfway complete, with time passing quickly and his production on the field largely remaining the same.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The motorist and a passing Minnesota Department of Transportation snowplow operator both called 911.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Before leaving, secure your home by locking it.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The rain started early in the morning and continued well into the night, soaking busy freeways in the midst of rush hour traffic and leaving some businesses and homes flooded.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Staff strike an easy balance, remaining accessible while still giving guests the space to enjoy the area’s quiet and calm.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Again, the Dodgers have talked openly about giving him more days off, because everything with this organization centers on October.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Iowa could get rid of townships as a unit of government and eliminate their boards of trustees, transferring their local authority to their respective counties.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
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Staff cleans up the sand that blows throughout the season to prevent winds from transferring it onto Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
20 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
-
To watch any one of Wiseman’s films is to fall under the spell of a master who used the medium to make the viewer a more empathetic and enlightened person, supplying the pleasure of watching human nature through the perceptive eye of a humorous, unpretentious man with insatiable curiosity.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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The states are struggling to find a way to save enough water so that the two largest reservoirs on the river and in the nation — Lakes Mead and Powell — retain water levels capable of producing hydropower and of supplying downstream users in the Lower Basin and Mexico.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
13 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 21 Feb. 2026.
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