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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Recent Examples of hands-on
Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
The percent of hands-on-keyboard break-ins, meaning real human attackers inside a financial institution’s network, grew 43% globally and 48% in North America over the past two years, CrowdStrike reported.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Reformers were worried that putting more money into the hands of local school districts, without oversight to ensure that it was being spent effectively, would lead to its diversion into administration and more generous union contracts rather than hands-on instruction for kids who needed it most.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hands-on
Adjective
Meet the Machines, Rocklin’s hands-on celebration of all things big, loud and built to work, will return next week with trucks to climb, horns to honk and family-friendly activities.
—Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
The percent of hands-on-keyboard break-ins, meaning real human attackers inside a financial institution’s network, grew 43% globally and 48% in North America over the past two years, CrowdStrike reported.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Reformers were worried that putting more money into the hands of local school districts, without oversight to ensure that it was being spent effectively, would lead to its diversion into administration and more generous union contracts rather than hands-on instruction for kids who needed it most.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hands-on
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands-on
Adjective
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Nagi, as Fukada imagines it, is empty but filled with voices — voices that are easily heard from every house in the area but seldom backed up by any kind of direct address.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
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But even a completely Gaiman-free Good Omens would still bear his direct creative stamp.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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The ceasefire, though currently active, has failed to stop the conflict.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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Particularly this group of 17, which is extremely active and, because there's another gorilla family nearby, very territorial.—
Mary Holland,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Daniella Segura Click the link below for the USA TODAY Network's California June primary voter guide — registration deadline, ballot drop boxes, early voting, and how to track your ballot through Election Day.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Meanwhile, about a kilometre away, workers began clearing debris from the old site of the primary-care center, making room for a permanent replacement.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands-on.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands-on. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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