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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in treats
to behave toward in a stated way
handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
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
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 handles
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
But there is nothing online regarding any nomination other than who is scheduled to be considered by the Judiciary Committee, which confirms judges, and the Finance Committee, which handles all other nominees.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
The model handles the reasoning; the web supplies the facts that make the reasoning useful.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Jones Lang LaSalle, which handles leasing for the Encinitas Marketplace shopping center at North El Camino Real and Via Molena, announced Whole Foods Market’s arrival in a brochure.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Yuzu handles cold better than most citrus, but younger trees are more vulnerable.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 7 June 2026
Now, Vision Media, a screening company that handles awards promotion for studios like Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Paramount, is investigating whether the leak can be traced back to security vulnerabilities in its platform.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Complete with dark web monitoring alerts, secure vault and credential sharing, and emergency access for trusted contacts, Proton Pass Plus handles total account tracking for top-notch online privacy.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 June 2026
Blue Water Bistro, nearer the sand, handles relaxed lunches and dinners with dishes such as lobster tail burger and seafood claypot.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
New Atlas, 4 June 2026
The protest test Through its social media handles, the CJP posts about the lack of development and rising unemployment.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Oftentimes, these are on faucets, handles, showerheads, towel racks, and sometimes even light fixtures.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 June 2026
There’s physical engagement with things like door handles, throttle cables, ignition keys, and toggle switches.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 June 2026
During the ride, her hands remained tightly wrapped around the coaster's handles.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Nozzles are designed with amber-like handles to warm up the granite surfaces, and the Bottega Veneta products, without question, are worth pocketing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
So Crawford showed him the handles, the step back, everything that made Crawford so hard to contain.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 31 May 2026
There’s braille, screen-reader compatibility, and extra handles.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verb
How Familiar handles privacy inside your home A robot that sees and hears what happens inside your home naturally raises privacy questions.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026
But there is nothing online regarding any nomination other than who is scheduled to be considered by the Judiciary Committee, which confirms judges, and the Finance Committee, which handles all other nominees.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
The model handles the reasoning; the web supplies the facts that make the reasoning useful.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Jones Lang LaSalle, which handles leasing for the Encinitas Marketplace shopping center at North El Camino Real and Via Molena, announced Whole Foods Market’s arrival in a brochure.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Yuzu handles cold better than most citrus, but younger trees are more vulnerable.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 7 June 2026
Now, Vision Media, a screening company that handles awards promotion for studios like Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Paramount, is investigating whether the leak can be traced back to security vulnerabilities in its platform.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Complete with dark web monitoring alerts, secure vault and credential sharing, and emergency access for trusted contacts, Proton Pass Plus handles total account tracking for top-notch online privacy.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 June 2026
Blue Water Bistro, nearer the sand, handles relaxed lunches and dinners with dishes such as lobster tail burger and seafood claypot.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Noun
Instead of those handle halves folding around close to 180 degrees to reveal a central set of pliers like many other Leathermans do, one of the Crunch's handles pulls out and swings downward via an internal arm to reveal the pliers, which in turn swing into position.
—New Atlas, 4 June 2026
The protest test Through its social media handles, the CJP posts about the lack of development and rising unemployment.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Oftentimes, these are on faucets, handles, showerheads, towel racks, and sometimes even light fixtures.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 4 June 2026
There’s physical engagement with things like door handles, throttle cables, ignition keys, and toggle switches.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 June 2026
During the ride, her hands remained tightly wrapped around the coaster's handles.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Nozzles are designed with amber-like handles to warm up the granite surfaces, and the Bottega Veneta products, without question, are worth pocketing.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
So Crawford showed him the handles, the step back, everything that made Crawford so hard to contain.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 31 May 2026
There’s braille, screen-reader compatibility, and extra handles.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handles
Verb
-
The group closely manages its propaganda and marketing with several guides that members must strictly adhere to.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Venue operator Live Nation — which manages more than 300 facilities across the country — initially hoped to build a permanent amphitheater nearby, but scrapped those plans in 2023 after the Irvine City Council ended negotiations.—
Clay Marshall,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement Regardless of the facts, each side views itself as the aggrieved party and the other as the aggressor, sees the stakes as too high to step back unilaterally, and treats restraint as surrender.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
What does work is a containment pattern that treats every agent action as an external call requiring authorization at the action level, not the session level.—
Shreyans Mehta,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The department also operates Brinc Lemur S units for indoor tactical situations and the autonomous DJI Box 3 with Matrice 4TD — a drone-in-a-box platform that is programmed to launch, navigate and return to base entirely on its own.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
CoreCivic purchased the facility from the county in October 1996 and currently owns and operates the facility.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Milshtein previously served as adviser to COGAT, which supervises civilian policy in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
As chief of patrol, Hein supervises the most visible aspects of the Police Department that define its image in the minds of most Chicagoans, including emergency response, crisis intervention, traffic control, routine patrol and community policing efforts.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Scorsese is the highest-profile filmmaker to embrace the technology roiling many of his Hollywood peers and potentially representing a paradigm shift in how the film industry accepts its use.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
3 June 2026
-
Because California accepts and counts large numbers of mail-in ballots after Election Day, final results were not immediately available.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The race will determine who oversees one of the nation’s largest municipal law offices, which provides legal advice to city officials, represents Los Angeles in litigation and prosecutes misdemeanor charges committed within city limits.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
-
As part of that, Malhotra oversees Snap’s international growth initiatives across North America, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
As the World Cup grips North America this summer, China will again watch from the sidelines.—
Reagan Yip,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Breakfasts are vast and need a Mimosa to get to grips with.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Those exhibits named names — and not just fired Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator against her, and Canton Police Sgt Sean Goode, who resigned last week.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
In 1837, soap maker James Gamble and candlemaker William Procter became business partners, creating the company that still carries their names today.—
Amelia Lucas,Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handles. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
