HANDS-OFF Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

hands-off

adjective

Definition of hands-off

as in autonomous

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 hands-off By contrast, Langley has been relatively hands-off with her song, occasionally promoting it on TikTok or with notable live performances, but rarely with such a transparently or winkingly heavy hand, and not nearly as regularly. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2026 The Justice Department and FCC have approved the transaction without asking for any concessions or remedies — an unusually hands-off approach for such a large horizontal merger. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026 This Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is made for the low, slow, hands-off luxurious nature of a slow cooker. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 For the 1998 film directed by Griffin Dunne, Hoffman took a hands-off approach with the adaptation process. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hands-off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands-off

Adjective

Instead, the test showed how a human could direct a semi-autonomous platform while its software handled the details of executing instructions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Holland was ousted in 2020, when Sarandos combined English-language and international content under Bajaria (elevating the latter to the largest autonomous content job in the streamer’s history).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of autonomous

Adjective

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
However, the ministry’s statement does not provide independent verification of the results or disclose additional technical details about the missiles’ performance.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of independent

Adjective

And Secrets suspects that a younger, noninterventionist crowd would have boosted Vance’s numbers.

— Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Does the beginning of this war tell us anything meaningful about the long-running battle between the interventionist and noninterventionist wings of American conservativism?

— Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026

Definition of noninterventionist

Adjective

The urgency around courting nonaligned voters has been on display at recent debates, in ads flooding the airwaves and in the campaign money pouring into key states.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Russia has been able to weather Western sanctions largely by ramping up trade with nonaligned countries, particularly India and China.

— Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Definition of nonaligned

Adjective

About 90% of the investor base of the company, including Larry Ellison, the Oracle billionaire and father of Skydance CEO David Ellison, as well as RedBird Capital, Middle East sovereign wealth funds and other backers, did not receive the warrants.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund isn’t slowing its dealmaking, a senior executive said, even as the Iran war gutted the state’s revenue by 42% in the first half of the year.

— Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sovereign

Adjective

Though many unaffiliated voters have made up their minds, those who remain undecided will begin making decisions soon, as mail ballots go out and early voting begins in some states.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
The election inspectors must disclose their political affiliation to help the clerks ensure balanced staffing – claiming independent or unaffiliated is not an option for these roles.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of unaffiliated

Browse Nearby Words

hands in

hands-off

handsome

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hands-off

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes