1
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in providing
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption
in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in leaving
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed over their valuables to the desk clerk, who put them in the hotel safe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
hand over that screwdriver, will you please?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of handing over
The company had also recently staged a high-profile Cybertruck delivery event in Dubai’s Al Marmoom desert, handing over 63 vehicles in January, just weeks before tensions escalated.
—
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Next, Timberlake can be seen handing over his license and registration before stepping out of the car to undergo a series of sobriety tests.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Since Obama, the first president to use an official account on the social media site then called Twitter, left office in January 2017, handing over online accounts has been part of the transition process between administrations.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Because of this, handing over $35 million (€30 million) to Manchester United for Rashford might be the safest bet after all.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Phase One encountered setbacks due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and the Israeli airstrikes that occurred after the cease-fire came into effect in October.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
At the same time, Ncuti Gatwa, the 15th Doctor, exited the show under something of a cloud, seemingly handing over the keys to a familiar face in Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Apr. 2026
Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.
—CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Election officials, including some Republicans, have said handing over the information would violate state and federal privacy laws.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
Next, Timberlake can be seen handing over his license and registration before stepping out of the car to undergo a series of sobriety tests.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026
Since Obama, the first president to use an official account on the social media site then called Twitter, left office in January 2017, handing over online accounts has been part of the transition process between administrations.
—Stephen Fowler, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Because of this, handing over $35 million (€30 million) to Manchester United for Rashford might be the safest bet after all.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Phase One encountered setbacks due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and the Israeli airstrikes that occurred after the cease-fire came into effect in October.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
At the same time, Ncuti Gatwa, the 15th Doctor, exited the show under something of a cloud, seemingly handing over the keys to a familiar face in Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over
Verb
-
Tarrant County commissioners unanimously decided on Tuesday to put about a quarter mile of road up for sale in hopes of relinquishing control over the stretch.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2026
-
While the company is seen as relinquishing its multi-year lead on the technology, former Apple insiders said there's still hope.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While companies are recognizing the importance of unpaid care, providing some benefits, the weight of unpaid care will increase unless the labor supply is replenished, Nestler said.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The goal was to stimulate economic development and job creation in distressed areas around the country by providing tax incentives to investors who would back the projects.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs stranded a season-high 17 runners on base Tuesday, their first win when leaving at least 17 on base since June 2, 2018, and their first at Wrigley Field since July 3, 2010 (both also had 17 LOB).—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
His original boss, national security adviser Mike Waltz, was booted to the United Nations after the Signalgate scandal, leaving the role to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was already juggling portfolios and is busier now with Iran.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It's fueled accusations of human rights abuses and arbitrary detention, but also sharply dipped homicide rates in a country long terrorized by gangs, handing Bukele soaring popularity levels.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Thirty percent tips should be reserved for meals where the server is at least grabbing me a drink and clearing a plate, not handing me heat-lamp-languishing food in a 10-second interaction.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Antibodies that my body developed to fight the mycoplasma bacteria also destroyed my red blood cells, rendering me briefly anemic.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Upon arrival, officers saw Long Beach firefighters rendering medical aid to the victim, who was lying in the road.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2022, researchers concluded that Neanderthals and humans lived alongside each other in France and Spain for up to 2,900 years, giving them plenty of time to potentially learn from or even breed with each other.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
As was the case with the white-and-green dress for her Pakistan tour, Elizabeth, in her fashion choices, sought not only to avoid giving offense but to offer symbolic ingratiation, and among the most fascinating garments on display are those representing diplomatic dressing.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The other takes place during a flight — Lindsay wiping gunk from the toilet seat and transferring it to the rim of the cup Ashley drinks from.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
At the site, the team used a technique known as inelastic neutron scattering, that is defined as an event where neutrons lose or gain energy by transferring energy to form a sample.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McDavid reached 1,220 career points, passing Jeremy Roenick, Larry Murphy and Jean Beliveau to advance to 47th on the NHL list.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Other demands from the Iranian delegation included the release of $6 billion in frozen assets, guarantees around its nuclear program and the right to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
