Synonyms of handles

handles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of handle

1

as in manages

to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

as host of a live TV talk show, she must handle any situation that comes up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manages
• addresses
• manipulates
• treats
• negotiates
• takes
• plays
• maneuvers
• swings
• contends (with)
• fields
• pulls
• controls
• grapples (with)
• comes to grips with
• hacks
• has a grip on
• regulates
• copes (with)
• engineers
• steers
• directs
• guides
• carries out
• finesses
• gets off
• responds (to)
• reacts (to)
• carries off
• commands
• runs
• jockeys
• brings off
• micromanages

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fumbles
• mishandles
• bungles
• botches
• muffs
• messes (up)
• goofs (up)
• louses up
• scamps
• foozles

2

as in treats

to behave toward in a stated way

handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude

Synonyms & Similar Words

• treats
• serves
• uses
• is (to)
• acts (toward)
• deals (with)
• regards
• does by
• considers
• responds (to)
• reacts (to)
• views
• engages (with)
• rates
• reckons
• esteems

3

as in operates

to control the mechanical operation of

learned how to handle basic woodworking power tools

Synonyms & Similar Words

• operates
• uses
• works
• runs
• manipulates
• drives
• wields
• controls
• maneuvers
• directs
• guides
• steers
• plies
• commands
• pilots

4

as in supervises

to look after and make decisions about

she takes care of the flower beds, and he handles all the lawn care

Synonyms & Similar Words

• manages
• operates
• supervises
• oversees
• regulates
• controls
• conducts
• runs
• governs
• directs
• administers
• tends
• keeps
• guides
• protects
• administrates
• watches over
• overlooks
• superintends
• carries on
• leads
• steers
• presides (over)
• watches
• stewards
• guards
• safeguards
• cares (for)
• minds
• pilots
• micromanages
• stage-manages
• codirects
• comanages

5

as in accepts

to put up with (something painful or difficult)

I can't handle much more of this foul weather

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accepts
• stands
• tolerates
• endures
• takes
• sustains
• absorbs
• bears
• supports
• wears
• swallows
• meets
• sticks out
• stands for
• pockets
• lives with
• abides
• stomachs
• hacks
• lumps (it)
• goes
• brooks
• countenances
• sweats out
• bides
• suffers
• allows
• permits
• toughs it out
• reconciles (to)
• yields (to)
• submits (to)
• consents (to)
• agrees (with or to)
• respects
• assents (to)
• acquiesces
• capitulates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuses
• rejects
• dismisses
• declines
• resists
• opposes
• turns down
• avoids
• repudiates
• spurns
• fights
• combats
• escapes
• misses
• contests
• bypasses
• evades
• circumvents
• eludes
• dodges
• refrains (from)
• abstains (from)
• forbears

6

as in oversees

to be in charge of

I'll be handling the team's workouts while the leader is on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supervises
• oversees
• manages
• steers
• commands
• directs
• controls
• heads
• runs
• bosses
• overlooks
• guides
• watches over
• orders
• superintends
• administers
• monitors
• shows
• captains
• calls the tune (for)
• calls the shots (of)
• rides herd on
• quarterbacks
• governs
• rules
• reigns
• presides (over)
• shepherds

handles

2 of 2

noun

plural of handle

1

as in grips

a part by which an implement is held

was given a set a steak knives with wooden handles

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grips
• hilts
• bows
• loops
• handgrips
• hafts
• helves
• shafts
• handlebars
• bars
• bails
• crops
• broomsticks
• whipstocks

2

as in names

a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known

likes to go by the handle "Champ"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• names
• monikers
• titles
• nomenclatures
• nicknames
• designations
• banners
• epithets
• denominations
• surnames
• pseudonyms
• cognomens
• denotations
• compellations
• appellations
• given names
• appellatives
• first names
• family names
• Christian names
• labels
• aliases
• maiden names
• tags
• baptismal names
• pen names
• middle names
• trivial names
• forenames
• brand names
• trade names
• patronymics
• matronymics
• sobriquets
• diminutives
• noms de plume
• bynames
• cryptonyms
• monomials
• trademarks
• noms de guerre
• binomials
• rubrics
• hypocorisms
• vernaculars
• misnomers

3

as in nicknames

a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual

since it seemed decreed that every new firefighter have a handle, his was soon "Hulk"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nicknames
• epithets
• surnames
• monikers
• aliases
• pseudonyms
• labels
• tags
• bynames
• cognomens
• titles
• sobriquets
• denominations
• designations
• pen names
• denotations
• appellations
• noms de plume
• anonyms
• noms de guerre

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of handles

Verb

The groomer parks in your driveway or at your curb, brings your dog into the vehicle and handles the full appointment on-site. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

However, JPMorgan Chase CEO Marianne Lake expressed skepticism about consumer readiness, highlighting concerns over trust, security, and liability when AI handles transactions. — Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Review an agreement, clarify who handles what, or talk through a lingering concern with practical kindness. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026

July has brought a lot of changes to how the federal government handles student loans. — NPR, 10 July 2026

Every July 4, the communications center in Rancho Cordova handles its highest call volume. — Andrew Graham july 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026

Oman has said that any agreement will comply with international law, although the prospect of a financial system on a waterway that typically handles around 20% of the world's oil has sparked alarm. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Illinois The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) handles transgender athlete participation through a formal policy, requiring students to submit documentation to their school to compete in accordance with their gender identity. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Jaclyn Sienna India, founder of Sienna Charles, a concierge firm that handles the travel and lifestyle needs of clients worth a billion dollars or more, says the best offerings tend to be more intimate than extravagant. — Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026

Noun

The handles also complement the microwave finish, and some even use a push button for the sleekest look. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Its bezel-less smart frame handles direct Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast streaming inputs, voice remote navigation commands, and instant private wireless headphone pairing. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026

Thanks to the wheels at the bottom and the side handles, this air conditioner can be easily moved from room to room. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026

As a high-touch surface, refrigerator door handles can get dirty quickly. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 4 July 2026

Attendees swap numbers and Instagram handles, but friendships and unexpected community ties form just as often. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026

Other modifications include a one-piece floor, improved hold-down handles and reduced bulk, Steber said. — Jack Dura, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Authorities traced the handles and identified Fuller and Brown, the affidavit states. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026

The telescope was not built to be serviced the way the Hubble Space Telescope has been numerous times since its 1990 launch and thus was not designed with handles or brackets to accommodate robotic arms. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 2 July 2026