as in easy
involving minimal difficulty or effort
after all that worrying, the game for the championship turned out to be a hands-down win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in definitely
without any question
she is hands down the most gifted musician in the class
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in easily
without difficulty
she'll win the dancing competition hands down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in passes (down)
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in kithes
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of hands-down
Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2026
Welcome back to the most scintillating, compelling, thrilling, and hands-down drunkest literary advice column this side of the lord’s internet.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
This is hands-down a hairstyle that can adapt to any mood and occasion.
—Audrey Noble, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Pottery Barn is hands-down one of the best places to find beautiful quilts for year-round use.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
For the dip enthusiasts, this is a hands-down crowdpleaser.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
But all these years later, Nintendo has finally beat Midway to it, and to be honest, DKB is probably my favorite game of 2025, hands-down.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Everyone should visit the Glasgow-meets-Gotham hilltop Necropolis and mosh at a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom—hands-down the country’s best live music venue—while there’s no better place to go gourmet than in Finnieston (rejoice while eating at The Gannet or, UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers).
—Mike MacEacheran, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2025
How to Get Around Renting a car is hands-down the easiest way to explore the peninsula.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
This is hands-down my favorite percale cotton duvet cover.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2026
Welcome back to the most scintillating, compelling, thrilling, and hands-down drunkest literary advice column this side of the lord’s internet.
—Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
This is hands-down a hairstyle that can adapt to any mood and occasion.
—Audrey Noble, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Pottery Barn is hands-down one of the best places to find beautiful quilts for year-round use.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025
For the dip enthusiasts, this is a hands-down crowdpleaser.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
But all these years later, Nintendo has finally beat Midway to it, and to be honest, DKB is probably my favorite game of 2025, hands-down.
—Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Everyone should visit the Glasgow-meets-Gotham hilltop Necropolis and mosh at a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom—hands-down the country’s best live music venue—while there’s no better place to go gourmet than in Finnieston (rejoice while eating at The Gannet or, UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers).
—Mike MacEacheran, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2025
How to Get Around Renting a car is hands-down the easiest way to explore the peninsula.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands-down
Adjective
-
After Iribarne’s free throw, Beckman couldn’t knock down a 3, and Aliso allowed an easy bucket with five seconds left, then didn’t worry about putting the ball in play again.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Cohen suggests incorporating accent pieces—pillows, objects, and art—done in more vibrant tones that are easy to edit or remove over time.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
There was definitely heat on the back end, especially in the aftertaste.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Gerard Martin is doing a fine job of partnering Pau Cubarsi in that area of the back line, and so too is Eric Garcia, but reinforcements are definitely needed.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Regardless, Super Bowl 49 easily had one of the most iconic endings in NFL history.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Ideally, provide a range of low-mess snacks that can easily be eaten during gameplay, or take dedicated food breaks throughout the game so your game tiles don’t get covered with food.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The weekend celebration started on Friday with a roller skating party on the smooth arena floor followed by a full schedule on Saturday of performances by local artists, tours and refreshments.—
Doug Duran,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
With the ability to charge a compatible phone wirelessly at 25W using the new Qi2 charging standard, the MagSafe-compatible Icemag 3 has a full-surface magnetic lock and provides smoother and steadier power flow.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Jessie Buckley is almost certainly going to win an Oscar come March.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Skinny Pedro must certainly have fallen victim to some kind of sorcery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Although the meeting went smoothly and led to concrete commitments, the bonhomie was strained by uncomfortable questions at a news conference about the issue hanging over the day’s diplomacy.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Their study on the jagged frontier shows that AI capability spikes and dips across activities rather than rising smoothly with difficulty.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Athlete feedback informs the use of thin padding and a lightweight heel counter beneath to balance comfort, capture and weight.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And when Lord Penwood dies, the villainous step-mother informs poor Sophie that her father left her no inheritance, and to survive, Sophie must become a maid in the Penwood house.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In such a world, simple answers won’t do; only the courage to ask the hardest questions will push us forward.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Knox, who committed to wrestle at Rutgers University, and his dad were initially charged with simple assault for purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury after a brawl broke out at Collingswood High School on February.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands-down. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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