HANDS ON Synonyms: 17 Similar and Opposite Words

hands-on 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hands-on

as in direct

actively and personally involved in something Supervisors at the company are expected to take a hands-on role in the projects of their subordinates.

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hands on

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hand on

as in passes (down)

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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 hands-on

Adjective

For something more hands-on, Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville has a challenging kart circuit where karts can reach 50 mph or more. — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026 The process combines hardware, software, AI training, simulation, and data collection into a hands-on humanoid development cycle. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 The project tested its model in the spring semester of 2025 on four college sophomores from other schools, which gave them academic credit for coming to the Greenway campus and doing hands-on work with faculty supervisors in a prototype semester. — Jon Marcus, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Randy Boutte has over 25 years of hands-on HVAC experience, and now serves as an HVAC Training Manager at HomeServe USA. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hands-on

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands-on

Adjective

Such direct communication with fans is now taking place on a semi-regular basis.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
What’s in the demo Children of Infinity is a space adventure RPG, just like The Ur-Quan Masters (and its direct spiritual predecessors, Starflight and Starflight 2).

— Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of direct

Adjective

The proposal is a significant departure from the original fund idea, which was created in the 1990s to help low-income parents remain active in the workforce by subsidizing childcare.

— Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2026
Labor Day Headphones Deals Apple’s AirPods Max 2 deliver an exceptional combination of high-fidelity acoustics and pro-grade active noise cancellation.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of active

Adjective

The club prefers Taylor to serve as the primary organizational voice to relay its message — and to take the brunt of criticism.

— Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The charcoal floor tiling and island in the corner kitchen feel like something Rick Owens would have dreamed up, as are the primary bathroom’s concrete floors and shower stall.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of primary

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handsomeness

hands-on

hands on

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“Hands-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands-on. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hands-on

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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