How to Use handful in a Sentence

handful

noun
  • The children collected seashells by the handful.
  • Our dog is a real handful.
  • Scoop up a handful of the mulch.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Each team plays a handful of games.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The union is one of a handful that has called for a cease-fire in the war.
    — Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024
  • There were a handful of smaller deals as well.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
  • There are only a handful of moves left.
    — Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
  • So far, his work has helped lead to a handful of arrests.
    — Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Combine a handful of nuts with fresh or dried fruit.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 5 June 2026
  • Add a handful of walnuts on top.
    — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 25 June 2026
  • Shawn has since killed a handful of bulls out of that very meadow.
    — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
  • From there, a handful of things matter.
    — Ajai Sehgal, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • He's been strong all year long and has only let in a handful of goals.
    — The Courier-Journal, 17 Sep. 2022
  • Reduce the heat to low and fold in both cheeses, one handful at a time.
    — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Pair a handful of mixed seeds with a piece of fresh fruit for a filling snack.
    — Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Again, a handful of students stand.
    — Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Mix a couple of handfuls of grass seed with a scoop of garden soil.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2024
  • Travels to a handful of cities through May.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Here are a handful of condiments called for in many Asian recipes.
    — Katie Workman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2023
  • It’s launched a handful of new Fresh stores in recent months.
    — Annie Palmer,katie Tarasov, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2024
  • Most teams show only a handful of games in spring training.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The home is one of only a handful available to rent for overnight stays.
    — AFAR Media, 14 July 2025
  • But much of this new revenue has come from a small handful of customers.
    — Ian King, Fortune, 22 May 2024
  • There’s only a handful of actors like that around that can do that.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
  • And, a handful of Polaroids from the shoot.
    — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • But so far, only a handful have said so publicly.
    — CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Just a handful of burglaries here and there for a while, but then a few more.
    — Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Add the vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and a handful of ice.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Mulkey benched Reese for a handful of games at the start of her senior year.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2025
  • Democrats would need to flip just a handful of seats to take power in both chambers.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'handful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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