well-handled

adjective

Definition of well-handlednext
as in worn

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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 well-handled That scene was potentially such a minefield, but so well-handled. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-handled
  1. worn
  2. aged
  3. shopworn
  4. shabby
  5. spoiled
  6. old
  7. beat-up
  8. stale
Adjective
  • In her Instagram carousel shared on July 5, Dunham also showed off a chartreuse skirt suit look, presumably worn for the rehearsal party the night prior.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
  • Mary Ellen Brown, 68, stood in the back of the chapel and greeted those who walked inside, toward their usual pews, while Emily Lyons, almost 90, maneuvered her walker through the worn wooden doors.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of worn
Adjective
  • Follow in those well-heeled footsteps with wide-fit pairs in perfectly aged washes–Dior, Nili Lotan, and Chloé agree.
    — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 10 July 2026
  • There are several different rums in the lineup, including un-aged and barrel-aged versions, as well as a spiced rum that’s smoked over a peat fire to give it some of that classic Islay character.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 10 July 2026
Definition of aged
Adjective
  • The Broncos look slow, sloppy, shopworn and stale.
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Carson said — 50 times Carson’s office, on a quiet street in downtown Modesto, was gritty and shopworn and functional in feel.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2021
Definition of shopworn
Adjective
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Tesla’s energy storage sales aren’t looking too shabby, either.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of shabby
Adjective
  • Some spoiled plantains were also attracting flies and had to be thrown out.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026
  • The athlete reportedly made sure that his girlfriend felt spoiled.
    — Alicia Brunker, InStyle, 3 July 2026
Definition of spoiled
Adjective
  • Meek, a 10-year-old Black girl, is grappling with her fears of nuclear Armageddon as more prosaic domestic concerns kick into high gear.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • However, that is changing as the US Department of Defense seeks more robust, less vulnerable power systems for military satellites that are less hazardous than the older spacecraft powered by uranium and plutonium.
    — David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • The new place has a bar to belly up to, a beat-up car for families and kids to play in and pose for the 'Gram and TikTok, and colorful neon signs.
    — Charlie D'Agata, CBS News, 10 June 2026
  • The recto portrays, in exactingly realistic detail, a locked and beat-up steel rolldown gate, as only the Lower East Side knows them, perforated with 15 black holes begging to be poked through.
    — Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Definition of beat-up
Adjective
  • Indeed, the folks in Akron, Amherst and Monroe, among other locales, have long awaited the winds of change, which have avoided blowing out the stale air caused by chronic losing.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • The shtick grew a little old, a little stale, and a little tired.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of stale

Browse Nearby Words

well-grounded
well-handled
wellhead
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Cite this Entry

“Well-handled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-handled. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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