1
as in to relinquish
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 to provide
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 to hand
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
as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
though the handover of my wallet was painful, it was better than getting shot by some trigger-happy punk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hand over
Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The situation was handed over to the Atlanta Police Department for further investigation into the gunfire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The last handover occurred in July 2025.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
Poogan, as the tale goes, was a scrappy, lovable dog who stuck around well after the home’s last occupants boxed up their belongings and handed over their keys in 1976.
—Chelsea Brasted, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
The situation was handed over to the Atlanta Police Department for further investigation into the gunfire.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
The process is one that typically takes place during what NASA refers to as a handover period before outgoing astronauts depart the space station, which in this case would have been Crew-11.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
The last handover occurred in July 2025.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
-
The first goal came when goalkeeper John Pulskamp relinquished the ball to opposing striker Wessam Abou Ali in the box.—
PJ Green
March 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Two were relinquished in the 1990s.—
Coalter G Lathrop,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The county has still provided no clear answers about why west Altadena didn’t receive prompt evacuation alerts, or saw minimal firefighters, during the Eaton fire, according to relatives of the victims.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Zelenskyy noted that providing interceptors was not enough to help fight drone attacks.—
SYLVIE CORBET,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In short, the court handed the president an off-ramp from one of the most unpopular economic policies of his second term, with a legitimate constitutional explanation attached.—
Jay Caruso,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Two weeks ago, Texas Tech handed Iowa State its only home loss of the season.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Pisces new moon asks for surrender.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The phrase is widely understood to mean taking no prisoners, or rejecting an opponent’s surrender and killing them instead.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Investigators rendered first aid at the scene, and Parker was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Madden said.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
17 Mar. 2026
-
That shot rendering the Cherry Blossom tree using the pink clouds is stunning.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Defense lawyers also claimed that four secret decrees Francis signed giving prosecutors wide-ranging powers to investigate violated the defendants' right to a fair trial.—
NICOLE WINFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Doja’s assistant slips through, gives me the thumbs-up, and ushers me into a dressing room the size of a tennis court, black velvet curtains concealing the walls.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Take every precaution to never leave young children and pets alone in vehicles, especially in extreme heat when car interiors can quickly become hazardous.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Across America, only six in 10 caregivers remain employed, and half report work disruptions — arriving late, leaving early or quitting entirely.—
Neal K. Shah,
Boston Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The deadline for submissions will be December 15, and the award will bestowed each March 21.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
