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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand over
Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
The jewelry store owners are accused of laundering gold originally purchased by elderly victims of fraud and handed over to couriers who are operating scams in the DFW area and across the country.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Under standard protocol, departing astronauts typically remain aboard the ISS for a few days after a crew arrives to help familiarize the new arrivals with the space station, which NASA refers to as a handover period.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
How else to explain Attorney General Pam Bondi’s shocking demand that Minnesota hand over voter roll data, issued the same day as Pretti’s killing?
—Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
The jewelry store owners are accused of laundering gold originally purchased by elderly victims of fraud and handed over to couriers who are operating scams in the DFW area and across the country.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
For many shoppers, this isn’t necessarily an absolute handover.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Under standard protocol, departing astronauts typically remain aboard the ISS for a few days after a crew arrives to help familiarize the new arrivals with the space station, which NASA refers to as a handover period.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
-
People do not readily relinquish authority.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Willis would never relinquish that varsity bag.—
Clark Fahrenthold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The military leader of the West African country has accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of supporting the armed group behind the attack, without providing any evidence to support the claim.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The Giants have provided a statement from Tisch addressing the emails.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Damascus had asked Beirut to hand them over to continue their prison terms in Syria, but Lebanese judicial officials said Beirut would not release any attackers and that each must be studied and resolved separately.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The game effectively ended with an infamous play call by then-Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who opted to have then-quarterback Russell Wilson throw the ball at the one-yard line instead of handing it off to running back Marshawn Lynch.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That framing—control versus surrender—runs through Kapur’s entire philosophy.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In September, Beijing’s Tiananmen Square hosted China’s biggest ever military parade to mark 80 years since Japan’s surrender in World War II.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Even so, Elder, in the memorandum to the commission, said a future rise in the number of household shoppers may render the parking inadequate.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
-
That mark and the mustache appear in brand-staple forest green, while the rest of the upper is rendered in cream, including a T-toe that appears to be constructed with rubber rather than leather.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Strong demand for dollars gives the US more influence in borrowing money overseas at low rates and imposing sanctions on other nations.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
For now, keepers are focused on giving mother and calf time to bond while closely monitoring the newborn’s progress.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Such vague commands, the court said, leave agents guessing how to respond during fast-moving protest situations and expose them to possible contempt sanctions.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Jan. 2026
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The auction house leaves behind its more cloistered Madison Avenue home for airy galleries in an 80-foot glass atrium, as well as an opulent neoclassical rotunda in the historic Steinway Hall.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didn't check their accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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