handles 1 of 2

Definition of handlesnext
present tense third-person singular of handle
1
2
as in treats
to behave toward in a stated way handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in operates
to control the mechanical operation of learned how to handle basic woodworking power tools

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
6

handles

2 of 2

noun

plural of handle

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
Verb
The law firm that filed the suit on behalf of the insurance company handles workers’ compensation cases, a representative said. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026 The facility had several unclean surfaces including under the stand-up freezers, garbage can handles and a speed rack. — Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026 The chatbot handles search, discovery and the try-on inside one window. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026 With agentic checkout, an AI agent handles the entire buying step of an online purchase, from cart management to payment to confirmation, without the shopper leaving the chat window. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026 Climbing stairs challenges several aspects of your physical fitness and can provide insight into how well your body handles everyday movements. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 29 Oct. 2026 What locked chats don’t do Locking a chat changes where a conversation appears and how it’s opened—not how OpenAI handles it. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Research a potential lender's track record — its Better Business Bureau rating and customer reviews can give you a sense of how a lender handles applications, payments and problems that arise after borrowing. — Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Either way, the retailer remains the seller of record and handles order confirmations and customer support. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Because most agents still require human approval before finalizing an order, shoppers keep the final call even as AI handles search, comparison and cart work. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 The bag features top handles and leather trims, and has a snap-button closure to conceal important essentials like a laptop and wallet. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026 The long curtains of the banquet room had been thrown open to the morning, and every object—tea service, silver filigree on chopstick handles—glinted like treasure. — Christopher Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2026 Orioner There's also a fold-out claw that can hook on to handles and ledges, giving you yet another way to use your phone hands-free. — New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026 Claude also found an out-of-bounds read that depended on a particular sequence of operations involving two handles to the same file. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 Disinfect high-touch surfaces like door handles and remotes to reduce germs before the weekend. — Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2026 The goal is to preserve and restore as much as possible, eventually combining components like handles and aluminum bins from different kitchens to reconstruct a complete model for museums or similar academic and cultural institutions. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 Accumulation of food debris observed on the handles of the reach-in freezer and reach-in refrigerator; accumulation of food debris observed on the interior bottom surface of both the refrigerators and freezers. — Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handles
Verb
  • This book manages to deliver on the promise of the jaunt without losing any of the rigor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her lips were frosted with a sheen of seashell pink, which manages to be both wintry and summery at the same time.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • The company treats monitoring as one layer of its broader safety strategy.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Bhaghani says coach Bob Chesney urges his team to focus on small details and treats everyone equally.
    — Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The company says its sodium-ion platform operates with passive cooling, eliminating the need for those systems.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Technically not in Lofoten, but well worth extending your trip for, Kvitnes Gard is a historic estate in Hadsel, Vesterålen, that operates as a 15-room farm hotel.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Although labs such as DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are private, the state supervises them at every stage and, increasingly, finances them.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Request the treating physician’s name and qualifications, then ask who performs each stage and how the physician supervises the team.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When Lear disowns her, the King of France accepts Cordelia as his wife and takes her back to his homeland.
    — Langdon Hammer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • When Danny is assigned to create a holiday scrapbook for his mom, Michaela reluctantly accepts help from his free-spirited substitute teacher, Bryan (Morgan), whose creativity clashes with her need for preciseness and control.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The Organization and Guidance Department, the party’s most powerful agency, oversees appointments, inspections, and discipline everywhere—in Pyongyang as well as rural villages.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • According to Monopol, authorities are now looking for witnesses, while the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), which oversees the city’s state art collections, has increased security at the museum.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • More news El Niño flooding grips Newport Beach, forcing residents and city officials to rethink their relationship with the ocean.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In the wake of October 7, antisemitism has been an issue the BBC has struggled to get to grips with and documentary strand Storyville is in the eye of the storm.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • That kind of multiple demands absolute perfection, and recent weeks have shown exactly what happens to heavily weighted tech names that fail to deliver a flawless quarter, Alphabet and Amazon among them.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Companies with nearly identical names were later incorporated in Slovakia, where business records list Dorofeyeva as the sole or co-owner.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 2 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Handles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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