handles 1 of 2

Definition of handlesnext
present tense third-person singular of handle
1
2
as in treats
to behave toward in a stated way handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in operates
to control the mechanical operation of learned how to handle basic woodworking power tools

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
5
6

handles

2 of 2

noun

plural of handle

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 handles
Verb
What locked chats don’t do Locking a chat changes where a conversation appears and how it’s opened—not how OpenAI handles it. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Research a potential lender's track record — its Better Business Bureau rating and customer reviews can give you a sense of how a lender handles applications, payments and problems that arise after borrowing. — Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Either way, the retailer remains the seller of record and handles order confirmations and customer support. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Ameritex handles spills and messier households Real Simple editors also pointed to the Ameritex Waterproof Cover for Furniture as a lower-cost option for messier rooms. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026 If eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin sends you back to nights in elementary school sorting candy on your living room floor, that memory formed by passing through your brain’s gustatory cortex, which handles taste. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 22 Oct. 2026 The same issue is also impacting the city's OAK311, which handles non-emergency calls. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 If a policy doesn’t say how AI handles your data, don’t assume it’s handled responsibly. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Sara Qudah, who handles the Middle East for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Levine's beating was not an isolated incident for journalists covering the West Bank olive harvest. — Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
Claude also found an out-of-bounds read that depended on a particular sequence of operations involving two handles to the same file. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 Other features include comfortable handles, an adjustable strap, and a luggage sleeve. — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2026 The goal is to preserve and restore as much as possible, eventually combining components like handles and aluminum bins from different kitchens to reconstruct a complete model for museums or similar academic and cultural institutions. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 Accumulation of food debris observed on the handles of the reach-in freezer and reach-in refrigerator; accumulation of food debris observed on the interior bottom surface of both the refrigerators and freezers. — Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026 Inspectors test commonly touched surfaces like door handles, thermostats, remotes, light switches, faucets and toilet flush handles. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Younglingz’s latest version of its child-friendly travel suitcase features removable spinner wheels, a padded seat, folding handles, folding foot pedals, and a safety belt. — Time Staff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Among the items back on Greek soil are black- and red-figure vessels, some with handles, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology, and would have been used in everyday life or as burial offerings. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Resort staff confirmed that the knives, which had teal handles, did not belong to the lodge, according to the complaint. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handles
Verb
  • Since its launch 15 years ago, Mubadala Capital has become the first sovereign fund to take in third-party capital, and now manages around $60 billion in its core alternatives business.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Aaron Alamary, president of parking management company TruPark USA, manages thousands of parking spaces between Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Returning recommended restaurants Beyond the newcomers, Lang Van held onto its Bib, with Dan Nguyen and Tuyen Tran continuing to turn out Vietnamese food that treats every regular like family.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Conventional analysis treats chip dominance as a source of instability.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The company says its sodium-ion platform operates with passive cooling, eliminating the need for those systems.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Technically not in Lofoten, but well worth extending your trip for, Kvitnes Gard is a historic estate in Hadsel, Vesterålen, that operates as a 15-room farm hotel.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Although labs such as DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are private, the state supervises them at every stage and, increasingly, finances them.
    — NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Request the treating physician’s name and qualifications, then ask who performs each stage and how the physician supervises the team.
    — Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That Kushner even managed to secure agrément, whereby a state accepts a foreign ambassador’s nomination, was a little miracle of American hegemony.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Who accepts the remaining risk, and when will it be reviewed?
    — Aliasgar Dohadwala, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The nation needs an ample supply for semiconductors, quantum and super computing, and superconducting magnets, added Robertson, who oversees the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Haugen oversees private capital investments, mergers and acquisitions at the family office and is also the chief investment officer of its spinout firm River1 Asset Management.
    — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the wake of October 7, antisemitism has been an issue the BBC has struggled to get to grips with and documentary strand Storyville is in the eye of the storm.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Heated grips come as standard, while a reversible gearshift mechanism allows riders to switch to a race-style reverse shifting pattern for circuit use.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But in reviewing state contracts for the facility and campaign contributions made to Uthmeier and the political committee behind him, familiar names cropped up, and one $250,000 check stood out — and not just for its sheer size.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Three prominent names in contemporary Christian music join forces for a holiday concert, bringing together decades of Christmas music and familiar favorites.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Handles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handles. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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