hand over 1 of 2

Definition of hand overnext
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
4
as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another hand over that screwdriver, will you please?

Synonyms & Similar Words

handover

2 of 2

noun

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
Verb
Sachs ran his hands over a powder-blue suit, modelled on one worn by Princess Diana. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 Only three other Panamanians have held the position since the United States handed over the interoceanic waterway in late 1999. ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
The handover also reflects the aircraft family’s reach beyond its North American market. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026 According to the notice, the official handover of the objects, which belong to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes based in Oklahoma, is scheduled for this summer, on or after June 11. Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
  • His willingness to relinquish power set a powerful precedent for American leadership that resonated far beyond our state’s borders.
    Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Atlanta never relinquished the lead and eliminated the Sixers.
    Jason Jones, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This week provides a major test for Houser and the offense with defending ACC champ Duke and defensive guru Manny Diaz coming to Champaign.
    The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • That program, run by the drug’s maker, Revolution Medicines, had been set up to provide access to the drug before it had been approved by regulators.
    Angus Chen, STAT, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Recent polling handed Sand a slight edge over Lahn, with Emerson College Polling showing a 49%-46% split in the Democrat’s favor.
    Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For more than a decade, the internet handed entrepreneurs a remarkable shortcut.
    Richard McSweeney, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And that was actually really important, that sense of surrender.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The surrender followed an investigation that involved multiple Sacramento-area law enforcement agencies, including West Sacramento police and the Yolo Regional SWAT Team.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • On Lanai, one of Hawaii's smallest main islands, storm damage rendered a harbor that supplies much of the food and fuel to its 3,300 residents inoperable.
    GENE JOHNSON, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Almost everything in this vast, artificial indoor garden, including the surrounding stands of bamboo and a woebegone girl sprouting angel wings, is rendered in the Belgian artist’s signature ash gray.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Neither Moscow nor Kyiv give regular updates on their battlefield losses.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Our affiliates in Texas would have to give equal time to as many candidates as there are on the ballot, and there’s about 10 candidates on the ballot.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • That leaves Christina Koch as the only crew member still on the active astronaut rolls.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Giffords was shot during an assassination attempt in 2011 but has stayed active in politics since leaving Congress.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • South Korea selected Possible Love as its submission for the best international feature Oscar, and Netflix is positioning the film as one of its major awards contenders of the season.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The film stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong, and is South Korea’s submission for the best international feature film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster