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
Brett Appley, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Twinning with Hathaway would be thrilling at any point, but especially so with my hands-down favorite pair of sweats.
—Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
My favorite sneakers in my closet right now are hands-down this slim Tokyo style from Adidas.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Best Mid Size 3-Row SUV Hyundai Palisade Redesigned for 2026, the even more modern and luxurious Hyundai Palisade was hands-down our judges favorite.
—Scotty Reiss, Parents, 24 Feb. 2026
But for now the Guggenheim Dodgers are the best at spending their money, have the best head of baseball operations in Andrew Friedman, have the hands-down best manager in Dave Roberts.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
My hands-down favorite room was the bathroom.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Adjective
But his hands-down, semi-reckless style typically gives opponents a high offensive floor early in the fight, which has always been a concern of mine.
—Brett Appley, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Twinning with Hathaway would be thrilling at any point, but especially so with my hands-down favorite pair of sweats.
—Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 4 Apr. 2026
My favorite sneakers in my closet right now are hands-down this slim Tokyo style from Adidas.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026
Best Mid Size 3-Row SUV Hyundai Palisade Redesigned for 2026, the even more modern and luxurious Hyundai Palisade was hands-down our judges favorite.
—Scotty Reiss, Parents, 24 Feb. 2026
But for now the Guggenheim Dodgers are the best at spending their money, have the best head of baseball operations in Andrew Friedman, have the hands-down best manager in Dave Roberts.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026
My hands-down favorite room was the bathroom.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands-down
Adjective
-
Then Ohtani chased a sinker off the plate and chopped a slow bouncer to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, giving him an easy play at second.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Say what’s true, then follow through in a way that’s consistent and easy to maintain.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
Adverb
-
Netflix is definitely still hungry for its first Best Picture win, and Gerwig has not been the type to show any aversion to awards campaigns.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
-
The Idea of You (2024) Ah, yes, the recent streaming hit that cast Annie as a single mom who falls in love with a young Über-famous pop star who is definitely not named Schmarry Schmiles.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
All of these Hawaiian roll recipes come together easily and quickly in under an hour, with many taking just 30 minutes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Grill the thighs, uncovered, until they are charred and browned on both sides, easily released from the grates, and are cooked through (until the center reads at least 165°F on a probe thermometer), 4 to 6 minutes per side.—
Sheldon Simeon,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bark is smooth and slate-gray with distinctive white longitudinal stripes that become more fissured and rough as the tree matures.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
4 May 2026
-
There was no one cooler, smoother and more casual on the field than Robinson Canó, who starred in nine seasons (2005-13) with the Yankees.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
Campbell has certainly been doing that this spring for the Crusaders.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Throughout it all, Powell steered the Federal Open Market Committee to mostly unanimous decisions, building consensus across 11 other central bankers who almost certainly didn’t agree with him or each other.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Adverb
-
August 23 – September 22 Something at home needs attention before everything else works smoothly today.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Virgo August 23 – September 22 Something at home needs attention before everything else works smoothly today.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Welcome to Latest & Greatest, a franchise that celebrates all the shiniest new beauty launches of the month and informs you what’s worth your time and cash.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Meta informs staff layoffs affecting 8,000 employees amid AI push – Amid a massive strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence, Meta has informed its staff of impending layoffs expected to affect approximately 8,000 employees as the tech giant restructures its workforce.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
July 23 – August 22 Clarity today comes from keeping your message simple and grounded.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Brown said Atlanta was taking away the Knicks’ spray game, which made the answer simpler.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands-down. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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