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
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
The Norwegian had just scored the winning goal in his team’s 2-1 victory against title rival Arsenal, a result which puts the fate of the trophy in City’s hands with just five matches left to play.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The backstory Two centuries old, this family-run farm is now in the hands of eighth-generation owner José Antonio Uva, who spent over a decade revamping the property before reopening it as a hotel in 2016.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
Rivera took the competition seriously — he was often seen on the sidelines breathing deeply with his head in his hands to shake off his nerves between matches.
—Brian Cheung, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Back in 2023, Nara Smith found herself with some time on her hands.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026
The president has floated the idea of putting some tariff revenue directly in the hands of Americans, in the form of a tariff dividend check.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Second, at twenty per cent, was to keep Southeast Asia out of Chinese hands.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The church hands the bags out to people and also prepares it through its food kitchen and at shelters several times a month.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Madison says as Tyler hands her a plate.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
When life hands you lemon seeds, plant a lemon tree.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026
The manager who hands her team an exit map and watches most of them stay anyway has done something the board retreat, the culture consultant, and the engagement platform cannot.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The mysterious figure takes the musician’s guitar, tunes it, and hands it back to its owner.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Turan hands me off to his roommate, Rory Carmichael, a genial 39-year-old engineer.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Mazloum will officially succeed D’Amaro next Wednesday, the same day that Bob Iger hands the keys to the kingdom to the next generation of leadership.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
Football has traditionally been a conduit for protests in Iran, with the national team refusing to sing the anthem on several occasions over recent decades, including during the 2009 Green Movement and after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police in 2022.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
The Norwegian had just scored the winning goal in his team’s 2-1 victory against title rival Arsenal, a result which puts the fate of the trophy in City’s hands with just five matches left to play.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The backstory Two centuries old, this family-run farm is now in the hands of eighth-generation owner José Antonio Uva, who spent over a decade revamping the property before reopening it as a hotel in 2016.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
Rivera took the competition seriously — he was often seen on the sidelines breathing deeply with his head in his hands to shake off his nerves between matches.
—Brian Cheung, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Back in 2023, Nara Smith found herself with some time on her hands.
—Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026
The president has floated the idea of putting some tariff revenue directly in the hands of Americans, in the form of a tariff dividend check.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
Second, at twenty per cent, was to keep Southeast Asia out of Chinese hands.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
But its sense of Kevin’s journey from a shy, kept cat to one ready for whatever life hands him is clear, a North Star to guide all the otherwise enjoyable chaos.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The church hands the bags out to people and also prepares it through its food kitchen and at shelters several times a month.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Madison says as Tyler hands her a plate.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
When life hands you lemon seeds, plant a lemon tree.
—Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026
The manager who hands her team an exit map and watches most of them stay anyway has done something the board retreat, the culture consultant, and the engagement platform cannot.
—Charles Edward Gehrke, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The mysterious figure takes the musician’s guitar, tunes it, and hands it back to its owner.
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Turan hands me off to his roommate, Rory Carmichael, a genial 39-year-old engineer.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Mazloum will officially succeed D’Amaro next Wednesday, the same day that Bob Iger hands the keys to the kingdom to the next generation of leadership.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands
Noun
-
Tyson is an explosive separator with acrobatic body control.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But Saugus responded with six runs in the bottom of the third inning to grab firm control of the contest.—
Matt Wagner,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For Selva, that information only enhances the enjoyment of a purchase.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
-
My enjoyment was always hampered by trying to manipulate and enlarge the grid.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McClellan, who measured 6-3 7/8 and 313 pounds at his pro day, provides the imposing presence over center that the Packers lacked.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Trost provides similar depth for the Rams on the offensive line.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Of particular concern is the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway off Iran, where more than 20% of the world's oil supply normally passes.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade normally passes through the strait, and the global energy crisis threatened to deepen as the war is now in its eighth week.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The move leaves the Seahawks with a total of six picks in the draft.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the album’s high quality across the board, Mahesh still leaves a few ends loose.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Chris Shays, who lost to her in the 2012 Republican primary, was less impressed by her grasp of policy.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike on Earth, in space, if an astronaut lets an object slip from their grasp, the consequences are not just different (that object doesn’t drop to the floor) but also possibly dire.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Deployed as a winger against strong opposition, Wiegman has also used James as a central attacking midfielder in games where England are likely to dominate possession.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Rapids dominated possession in the first half, but Messi scored on a penalty kick to give Miami the lead in the 18th minute after Bright got fouled in the box after stealing the ball in the six-yard box.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Two double balance wheels inclined at 30 degrees dominate the lower half, with the upper half featuring a subdial for the running seconds, a four-minute indicator for the differential that supplies power to the two balances, and a linear power display.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The audience supplies 100% of the subjects for both the show and the between-scene, old-style radio ads.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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