a show of hands
noun phrase
: an occurrence in which people put a hand in the air to indicate that they want something, agree with something, etc.
Let me see a show of hands: how many people want a piece of cake?
Examples of a show of hands in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Applause wasn’t enough to distinguish the two, but a show of hands suggested the audience skewed towards Glinda.
—
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
The vibes: Nearly everyone in attendance has already voted, according to a show of hands requested by Trump.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
By a show of hands, about three quarters of the room accurately guessed that the photo with the oddly blank background was a fake.
—Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Thursday's cartoons - holidays, a show of hands, and more
Newsletter sign up
By The Week US
published 6 days ago
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 11 July 2024
When the results came in, a show of hands indicated most people were the latter.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 July 2024
When a moderator asked for a show of hands from candidates as to whether any of them had ever faced discipline by the Bar, Arreaza did not raise his hand.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
At the conference, when a moderator asked for a show of hands over who felt worried that TikTok Shop would soon be a thing of the past, almost no leaders showed any signs of fretting.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
Closing their eyes for a secret ballot, they were asked for a show of hands if anyone wanted to disband rather than face repercussions.
—Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
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.
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
The vibes: Nearly everyone in attendance has already voted, according to a show of hands requested by Trump.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024
By a show of hands, about three quarters of the room accurately guessed that the photo with the oddly blank background was a fake.
—Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Thursday's cartoons - holidays, a show of hands, and more
Newsletter sign up
By The Week US
published 6 days ago
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber.
—The Week Us, theweek, 11 July 2024
When the results came in, a show of hands indicated most people were the latter.
—George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 July 2024
When a moderator asked for a show of hands from candidates as to whether any of them had ever faced discipline by the Bar, Arreaza did not raise his hand.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
At the conference, when a moderator asked for a show of hands over who felt worried that TikTok Shop would soon be a thing of the past, almost no leaders showed any signs of fretting.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 21 June 2024
Closing their eyes for a secret ballot, they were asked for a show of hands if anyone wanted to disband rather than face repercussions.
—Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near a show of hands
Cite this Entry
“A show of hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20show%20of%20hands. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share