hand 1 of 2

noun

ˈhand How to pronounce hand (audio)
Definition of handnext
1
as in side
a certain way in which something appears or may be regarded on the one hand, you would have more storage space in a larger house, but on the other, you would have more rooms to heat

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Relevance
2
as in flank
a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line tall buildings rose on either hand nothing but wide open space on either hand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in needle
an arrow-shaped piece on a dial or scale for registering information both hands of the clock pointed to 12

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4
as in employee
one who works for another for wages or a salary the restaurant always hires several more hands for the busy summer season

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5
as in handwriting
the form or style of a particular person's writing writes with a flowing, old-fashioned hand

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6
as in control
usually hands plural the ability to direct the course of something the final decision is in your hands

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7
as in possession
hands plural the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal I'd like to get my hands on that vintage Cadillac convertible

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8
as in assistance
an act or instance of helping the downstairs tenant gave us a hand getting the heavy dresser up the stairs

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9
as in expert
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field once she got her own place, the young woman showed that she was quite a hand at interior decoration

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10
as in signature
a person's name written in their own handwriting often given to indicate awareness or consent the subpoena required a lawyer's hand

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hand

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to provide
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption was happy to hand her grandmother's cookie recipes to the parish ladies to put in their cookbook

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2
as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another the clerk handed her the receipt

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3
as in to leave
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another handed me her bundles while she fished for her house keys

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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 hand
Noun
According to Shinde, the actor’s hands were hurt by gunpowder and flying glass. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026 In 1939, there were some 6,733 power laundries and 15,245 hand laundries in the US. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
Another three gang members were handed life sentences, while 55 more were given prison terms ranging from 24 years to three years and three months, the court said. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Such a note would be handed to the next person travelling to a city, who would deposit it in a mailbox outside the radio station. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand
  1. side
  2. needle
  3. employee
  4. handwriting
  5. control
  6. possession
  7. assistance
  8. expert
Noun
  • On one side, the former townhouse faces the splendour of the US Embassy building and its gardens.
    — Julia Wytrazek, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The property is debuting as a member of Leading Hotels of the World, ushering in a new era of luxury for the area, and proving that, yes, chic and fabulous things can happen on either side of the Intracoastal.
    — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of side
Noun
  • What’s going to move the shopping needle for accessories for spring 2027 will most likely be driven by unprecedented colors.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Diesel prices have come off their all-time highs in recent weeks, but the key industrial fuel has already moved the needle across the economy and financial markets, making affordability a more potent issue in the midterm elections.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of needle
Noun
  • Such a promise needs to be written down, with a way for employees to challenge a broken commitment.
    — Christoph Trattner, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In an interview with Inside Edition on Tuesday, store owner Adam Rubin said that his store has been review-bombed since Clarkson took to social media and named the store, and employees and surrounding businesses have been harassed.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of employee
Noun
  • Bahdanau was working with artificial neural networks, which had already shown promise in pattern-recognition tasks such as deciphering handwriting and identifying objects in photos.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Some handwriting experts wondered whether a lack of panache in penmanship was generational.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of handwriting
Noun
  • At the end of September, leaders of several of the biggest AI companies went to the White House and signed an accord committing to internal risk controls, independent audits and board-level oversight of safety.
    — Giorgos Tsetis, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That includes colorblock styling, chunky knobs and physical controls, and simple shapes that make each device memorable and distinctive.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of control
Noun
  • The shoes became more than a possession, carrying a connection to the maker long after the customer left the shop.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Paporakis has been charged with one count of making a terrorist threat, a class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a class 3 felony, police said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of possession
Noun
  • And those striving for zest under these circumstances may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional like a psychologist, a physical health provider like a physician, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The government plans to support participating companies through loan guarantees and assistance with administrative requirements.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of assistance
Noun
  • They are usually still protected by maternal antibodies, experts say.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Rockefeller Foundation has just published a policy proposal – developed in partnership with leading experts – that details how a Growth and Investment Reset could work.
    — Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of expert

Phrases Containing hand

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hamstrung
hand
handbag
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Cite this Entry

“Hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hand

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hand

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