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
-
Federal prosecutors said someone would collect the drugs from the drone before handing them over to the buyers.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But there is also a suspicion among defense chiefs, amplified by Robertson, that the Treasury dislikes handing money to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) due to the latter's various procurement mishaps.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
22 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
-
Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen had a dreadful Game 2 before giving way to Lyon in the third period.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
How absurd, indeed, to imagine wild birds giving time like the mechanical songsters on an ornamental clock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tibbetts went to high school at Jefferson before transferring to a school in Sioux Falls as a junior.—
Annie Costabile,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Before transferring to Texas A&M, Onyedim was a teammate of Denver’s Eyioma Uwazurike at Iowa State.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In other words, the Chargers won’t be shy about using Mesidor equally in running or passing situations.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This division of labor allows the colony to remain partially buried in the seafloor while still efficiently feeding from passing water currents.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
