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
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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
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Recent Examples of handing over
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
Instead of simply handing over the keys, the former owners have taken the new young ones under their wing, offering advice and hands-on help.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Yeat joins him in another room, handing over what appears to be a file or document.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, China gets to keep the TikTok algorithm, simply licensing the algorithm to the US instead of handing over the heart of TikTok's success.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
But Kering has lost significant ground in the luxury space over the last few years as its core Gucci brand has slowed and Pinault is handing over operational duties to turnaround specialist Luca de Meo.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
But every so often, artists take a rarer route — handing over both the screen time and very much muted mic to stars who lip-sync in their place.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
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
Instead of simply handing over the keys, the former owners have taken the new young ones under their wing, offering advice and hands-on help.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Yeat joins him in another room, handing over what appears to be a file or document.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, China gets to keep the TikTok algorithm, simply licensing the algorithm to the US instead of handing over the heart of TikTok's success.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
But Kering has lost significant ground in the luxury space over the last few years as its core Gucci brand has slowed and Pinault is handing over operational duties to turnaround specialist Luca de Meo.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
But every so often, artists take a rarer route — handing over both the screen time and very much muted mic to stars who lip-sync in their place.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over
Verb
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The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Equipment needs and operational enhancements are being actively addressed through the current city budget process, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing excellent service to our community.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
EngineAI confirmed that its production models are powered by NVIDIA Jetson Thor, providing up to 2000 TOPS of AI compute, along with a 360-degree LiDAR perception system.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under the cover of darkness, essentially leaving the entirety of the franchise in the city.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Indian markets are under pressure across assets, with stocks, the rupee and bonds all weakening, leaving investors banking on the budget to reset sentiment.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An attack on Greenland would shatter NATO, handing a strategic victory to Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin as the world's most successful defensive alliance collapses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Jan. 2026
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In the 40th minute, Evan Vaden buried a header into the top left corner of the net off an excellent ball from Lucas Petersen, handing Mission Bay a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, while trying to confront grief with a sense of mischief, the movie’s impish tonal approach takes the sting out of death a little too often, rendering its catharsis null.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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Initially, Riot reported substantial financial enhancements in its core mining operations, rendering the company much more profitable compared to earlier mining downturns.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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And then there’s the new DineAlley, which curates private culinary journeys across the Tasman Peninsula, giving guests behind-the-scenes access to working farms, vineyards, oyster sheds and distilleries that are otherwise difficult to visit on your own.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Between 2020 and 2023, he’s accused of transferring more than $4 million from the foundation to himself.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Jan. 2026
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Jolie attempted to sell her company, Nouvel, to Tenute Del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group, in 2021, effectively transferring her 50% ownership interest in Miraval.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Galliano, who was famously fired from Dior in 2011, after making antisemitic comments in a bar in Paris, also attended the show, as well as Jean Paul Gaultier, a show of baton-passing if there ever were one.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Authorities said Richardson was driving 104 mph and dangerously passing other motorists on the highway.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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