hand over

verb

handed over; handing over; hands over
Synonyms of hand overnext

transitive verb

: to yield control of
handover
ˈhan-ˌdō-vər How to pronounce hand over (audio)
noun

Synonyms of hand over

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Examples of hand over in a Sentence

the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter
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.
Additionally, the workers must hand over any communications — including self-deleting texts from apps such as Signal — related to the office’s efforts to block noncitizen voting. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026 Make sure the backup finishes before handing over your device. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026 With the computer system down, rail traffic was then handed over to the control center in Madrid. — Hernan Muñoz, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026 This is a minimalist smartwatch designed for on-the-go users who want a smartwatch that checks all the basic tracking boxes without handing over an arm and a leg to access them. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand over

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hand over was in 1652

Rhymes for hand over

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Browse Nearby Words

hand out
hand over
hand over fist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20over. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hand over

verb
: to yield control of
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