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
  • Dew is a sheer, milky white that Choi says instantly makes nails look fresh and polished, with a dewy finish that’s especially pretty worn on its own.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Staff described students as often seeming physically and mentally worn down and checked out.
    — Crystal Cederna, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of worn
Adjective
  • Recently, a middle-aged woman came to see me in my ophthalmology clinic because her eyes felt gritty and uncomfortable.
    — Joshua R. Ehrlich, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • That kind of thing must happen all the time to Keanu Reeves, but few directors—especially middle-aged Polish directors—can be guaranteed the same treatment.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of aged
Adjective
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The Broncos look slow, sloppy, shopworn and stale.
    — Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Definition of shopworn
Adjective
  • Beck was playing a shabby, malnourished musician living in a shack who acts as an emissary of a weird celebrity cult.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The developer that’s built luxury apartment complexes from Wilton and Cheshire to New Haven is proposing a 235-unit complex near New London’s waterfront that would create a complete makeover for what’s considered the shabbiest road in the city.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shabby
Adjective
  • Towards the end of the episode, Abby (Hall) and Andrew Borden (Hunnam) get very sick after eating spoiled oysters — projectile vomiting and soiling their undergarments in the dining room.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Unfortunately, food that causes food poisoning doesn’t always smell bad or look spoiled.
    — Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of spoiled
Adjective
  • The 30-year-old actress, who was named the Chinese brand ambassador for Kors last March, made her acting debut at 10 and has played numerous roles in historical, fantasy and romantic dramas.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The backstory Wynn Las Vegas opened in 2005 on the site of the old Desert Inn, with Encore following in 2008; the big move was pulling spectacle inside instead of giving it away free at the curb.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • And the accompanying plot celebrated his other half’s positive influence — a one-bedroom condo feels like a 10-acre lot, a beat-up bass boat feels like a yacht.
    — Tom Roland, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2026
  • As an ex-convict, Decker can’t carry a gun and lives alone in a beat-up Florida trailer park.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of beat-up
Adjective
  • The assistant was answering with a straight face using data that was already hours stale.
    — Amirtha Saminathan, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In Primetime, Predator breaks protocol in a misguided attempt to keep the show from getting stale.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of stale

Browse Nearby Words

well-grounded
well-handled
wellhead
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-handled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-handled. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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