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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
  • Keep enough linens to meet your actual household needs, then donate usable extras or responsibly dispose of anything that’s too worn to pass along.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Susie showed me the large black shoe and its pair, women’s shoes, sturdy, a little worn, and not really very attractive.
    — Lydia Davis, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of worn
Adjective
  • Stephanie Cole, the popular British actress who was one of the stars of Open All Hours, has died aged 84.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The museum tends to attract a broad swath of ages, from middle school on up to senior citizens—though school vacation periods do bring in a younger, elementary school–aged crowd, too.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 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
  • Not too shabby for a series that premiered to mixed reviews and was canceled after just three seasons.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But returning home after some time with Ye-ji and Sang-woo, their place suddenly looks shabby and cheap.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of shabby
Adjective
  • None of its marks seem to maintain their integrity for more than an inch or two without being fretted or spoiled.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • People are throwing out spoiled food and lining up for hot meals, according to reports, while searching for laundromats, working Wi-Fi, cleaning wipes and diapers.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoiled
Adjective
  • The sheriff's office's drone was used to assist in checking the approximately 28-acre property and helped identify old kennel and animal-confinement areas.
    — River Valley Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 27-year-old pre-training researcher’s dramatic resignation has fired off a provocative warning on X that instantly sent ripples across the tech sector.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • General manager Monti Ossenfort did little to upgrade a beat-up unit that fell apart during the second half of last season, betting that better health would lead to improvement.
    — Doug Haller, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Armed with a beat-up van, a trunk full of trapping gear and a cohort of helpers, Jacquie Navratil leads Luxe Paws, a trap-and-release network that has helped more than 19,000 cats since 2012.
    — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of beat-up
Adjective
  • This terror grows familiar but not stale; the reader is allowed to live within it almost calmly and thus catch glimpses of other forces in the darkness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But its past horror shows on offense, especially in 2023, continue to brand its reputation as stale, like a piece of chewing gum after 10 minutes.
    — The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 16 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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