1
as in control
the ability to direct the course of something
the final decision is in your hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in enjoyment
the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal
I'd like to get my hands on that vintage Cadillac convertible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in provides
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption
was happy to hand her grandmother's cookie recipes to the parish ladies to put in their cookbook
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passes
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
the clerk handed her the receipt
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in leaves
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed me her bundles while she fished for her house keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of hands
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Ten members of the pool raised their hands with three admitting to having some knowledge of King.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
Shortly before the World Cup trophy is placed into the hands of one team’s triumphant captain at MetLife Stadium on July 19, a gleaming Golden Boot award will be presented to the tournament’s top scorer.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
As recently as May, Tesla’s X account posted an ad showing drivers with their hands off the wheel, goofing off while waving their fingers in the air or sipping a hot coffee from a ceramic mug with two hands.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026
Messi held his head in his hands, as unbelieving as everyone else.
—Filip Bondy, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026
The same kind of hands will now build the infrastructure that decides whether this century and the internet of the future will be led by free people or by Beijing.
—Saxby Chambliss, Fortune, 22 June 2026
Clean the bite area and your hands with soap and warm water or alcohol.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 22 June 2026
Federico Viñas could only see his header from the right fall into Al-Owais's outstretched hands.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026
His own ideal already hands workers a fortune.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
But the framework agreement signed this week hands major financial concessions to Iran that could ultimately go much further than the Obama-era arrangement.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 19 June 2026
Hair stylist Renato Campora, the master hands behind Jolie’s billowy loose curls with volume at the roots, considers perfume to be part of the full look, just like any other accessory.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 19 June 2026
In most Istanbul clinics, the surgeon designs the hairline and then hands the remainder of the procedure to technicians.
—Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
The shrewd, long-serving Obama hands Jarrett and Tina Tchen coached this project through all the minefields Chicago inevitably put in its way.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
So with that, the Artemis II crew, Komrade, hands you the baton.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 June 2026
This is the moment Sly Stone hands the baton to a sprinting Prince.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Noun
In your view, are the biggest risks from AI systems themselves or from the humans deploying them, the possibility of AI in the hands of rogue actors is particularly concerning here.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Ten members of the pool raised their hands with three admitting to having some knowledge of King.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
Shortly before the World Cup trophy is placed into the hands of one team’s triumphant captain at MetLife Stadium on July 19, a gleaming Golden Boot award will be presented to the tournament’s top scorer.
—Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
As recently as May, Tesla’s X account posted an ad showing drivers with their hands off the wheel, goofing off while waving their fingers in the air or sipping a hot coffee from a ceramic mug with two hands.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 June 2026
Messi held his head in his hands, as unbelieving as everyone else.
—Filip Bondy, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026
The same kind of hands will now build the infrastructure that decides whether this century and the internet of the future will be led by free people or by Beijing.
—Saxby Chambliss, Fortune, 22 June 2026
Clean the bite area and your hands with soap and warm water or alcohol.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 22 June 2026
Federico Viñas could only see his header from the right fall into Al-Owais's outstretched hands.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Verb
Picking tomorrow’s outfit tonight, when no clock is running, hands your morning self a decision that is already made.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026
His own ideal already hands workers a fortune.
—Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
But the framework agreement signed this week hands major financial concessions to Iran that could ultimately go much further than the Obama-era arrangement.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 19 June 2026
Hair stylist Renato Campora, the master hands behind Jolie’s billowy loose curls with volume at the roots, considers perfume to be part of the full look, just like any other accessory.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 19 June 2026
In most Istanbul clinics, the surgeon designs the hairline and then hands the remainder of the procedure to technicians.
—Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 18 June 2026
The shrewd, long-serving Obama hands Jarrett and Tina Tchen coached this project through all the minefields Chicago inevitably put in its way.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
So with that, the Artemis II crew, Komrade, hands you the baton.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 9 June 2026
This is the moment Sly Stone hands the baton to a sprinting Prince.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands
Noun
-
Turn into the skid - Turning into the skid can help the vehicle's tires realign to regain control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
-
Both were thrown onto the roadway as the carriage continued out of control.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Both genres play on the idea of surprise and communal enjoyment, which is what Murai found so compelling about the show overall.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
-
The technology has enhanced his understanding of fish and his enjoyment of fishing, Schneider said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Under them, a chatbot must not be able to interact with someone under 18 unless it is programmed against encouraging self-destructive behavior and provides parents with tools to manage the child’s use.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Palliative care, which provides medical and emotional support to patients at the end of their lives, is a relatively new concept, arising only in the 1960s.—
Sophie Neiman,
NPR,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Then this private driveway passes fruit trees, a vineyard, and mature plantings, before finally reaching the impressive colonial that is at the heart of this nearly four-acre country estate at 46 Andrews Road in Wolcott.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2026
-
While there are no rideshare services available in Cannon Beach, there is a NW Connector bus route that runs multiple stops in town, with three-day passes available for $25 or seven-day passes for $30.—
Molly Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
That leaves an interesting two-by-two decision at stake.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
-
That leaves little time for work, which can pose an additional financial burden.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Nothing seemed beyond his grasp.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
-
But there’s not a shortage of potential challengers who could step up and grab the championship from Ali’s grasp.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Amid the fallout, Honarkar lost possession of most of his properties, including the historic Hotel Laguna, where a public scuffle had broken out in 2023 between his security team and guards working for the partner who wrested control of the landmark.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Belgium dominated possession in the first 60 minutes, but Iran still had a strong counterattack that was repeatedly thwarted by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who matched Beiranvand's results, if not his theatricality.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The National Eagle Repository supplies eagle parts to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, as eagle feathers have been used for religious and cultural purposes for hundreds of years.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
East2West reported that the refinery supplies 40% of Moscow’s fuel market and 70% of the surrounding region’s gasoline and aviation fuel needs.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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