at the hands of

phrase

variants or less commonly at the hand of
: by or through the action of
suffering at the hands of a cruel dictator

Examples of at the hands of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The team suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox last weekend. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Her death at the hands of rampaging cops helped ignite the nation’s racial reckoning in 2020. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 The Braves’ summer malaise is getting close to a free fall after yet another loss, this one at the hands of the visiting Cardinals at Truist Park on Tuesday. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 July 2026 Presidents and their families raking in private sector cash and investments is always cause for concern, but there has never been even close to this kind of enrichment at the hands of entities with interests directly before the federal government. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for at the hands of

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at the hands of was in 1581

Rhymes for at the hands of

See All Rhymes for at the hands of

Browse Nearby Words

at the first sign
at the hands of
at the head of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At the hands of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20hands%20of. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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