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
Johnson found Hall early in his prep career at Plano East High School, handing the then-sophomore his first college offer.
—
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
That is all the Philadelphia Phillies could hope for after essentially handing him the keys to the position in the offseason, which was somewhat of a gamble given the lack of depth options and Crawford’s body of work.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Then, once 3-on-3 play resumed, Bo Horvat scored with 40 seconds left in the extra session, handing San Jose a bitter loss to end a six-game homestand.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
Less than a minute and a half later, the Patriots were caught with too many men on the ice, handing Burlington its first power play of the game.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
In past years, the council raised parking fees and slashed vacant positions instead of handing employees a pink slip.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Fouad thanked White for being humble and taking the time to answer the question before handing him his Polaroid picture.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
Unlike the Chris Grier/Brian Flores regime in 2019, my understanding is the team does not plan to sign an older veteran with the intention of just handing him the starting job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win.
—Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
That is all the Philadelphia Phillies could hope for after essentially handing him the keys to the position in the offseason, which was somewhat of a gamble given the lack of depth options and Crawford’s body of work.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Then, once 3-on-3 play resumed, Bo Horvat scored with 40 seconds left in the extra session, handing San Jose a bitter loss to end a six-game homestand.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026
Less than a minute and a half later, the Patriots were caught with too many men on the ice, handing Burlington its first power play of the game.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
In past years, the council raised parking fees and slashed vacant positions instead of handing employees a pink slip.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 3 Mar. 2026
Fouad thanked White for being humble and taking the time to answer the question before handing him his Polaroid picture.
—Ryan Brennan
march 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2026
Unlike the Chris Grier/Brian Flores regime in 2019, my understanding is the team does not plan to sign an older veteran with the intention of just handing him the starting job.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
The Blue Devils opened the week by handing Notre Dame its worst home loss since 1898 with a 100-56 win.
—Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing
Verb
-
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,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The administration may believe that the oil price shock will be short-lived and mitigated by providing naval escorts for tankers transiting Hormuz.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Of course, there are also regions that have hot, ionized material in the way, such as around active galaxies or in passing through galaxy clusters that have hot, X-ray emitting intracluster mediums.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Slovenian center, who is retiring this spring after 20 seasons in Los Angeles, is just five points away from passing Marcel Dionne to become the Kings’ career scoring leader.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And that majority shrank further after Greene retired in January, leaving her seat vacant for several months as Congress is at a standstill amid a partial government shutdown.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
-
At least one officer with the Los Angeles Police Department shot an allegedly armed man on Tuesday morning, leaving him hospitalized.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The universe is giving us space to integrate new desires without losing compassion for others.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The up-and-coming It girl is giving a masterclass in 90s nostalgia while giving it a fun, modern twist that is just so contagious.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As someone who frequently spends weekends on the lake or traveling to and from children’s sporting tournaments, durable products that can withstand transferring from the truck to the boat and everywhere in between are necessary.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Coaching staffs don’t have to worry anymore about players transferring after spring practice.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Marzan was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines — a unit tasked with supplying troops with food, fuel, ammunition and equipment — and deployed to Kuwait to support the war effort.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Matthew Hoen—NurPhoto/Getty Images Kayumi is accused of supplying one of the projectiles, police said.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This layer prevents water, nutrients, and air from reaching the roots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The share of other immigration violation arrests shot up throughout 2025, reaching 48% in September.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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