change hands

phrase

: to pass from the possession of one owner to that of another
The property has changes hands many times.

Examples of change hands 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 chain changed hands several times before becoming a division of Yum! — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026 François highlighted the discovery as an example of how a once-legitimate web address can change hands. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 All this became possible without the raw data ever changing hands, with some vendors claiming accuracy gains of up to 40% from AI models trained inside them. — Ivan Guzenko, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The business had been declared insolvent after changing hands for years. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for change hands

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of change hands was in 1614

Rhymes for change hands

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Browse Nearby Words

change gear
change hands
change horses in midstream
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Change hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change%20hands. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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