ˈhan(d)-tə-ˈhand 
ˈhan-də-
: involving physical contact or close enough range for physical contact
hand-to-hand fighting
: at very close range
Examples of hand-to-hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New York Times, 11 Oct. 2024
The movie is a taught thriller that sees a former military hand-to-hand combat expert take on the corrupt police department of a small southern town.
—Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 11 July 2024
On the edges of the encampment, dozens of people were fighting hand to hand, some wrestling over barricades while others grappled to the ground, the Los Angeles Times reported.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hand-to-hand 
Adjective
Two dozen soldiers from India and China, both nuclear powers, died in high-altitude, hand-to-hand combat in 2020.
—New York Times, 11 Oct. 2024
The movie is a taught thriller that sees a former military hand-to-hand combat expert take on the corrupt police department of a small southern town.
—Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Adverb
Some common milestones for 7-month-olds include: Transfers objects from hand to hand.
—Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 11 July 2024
On the edges of the encampment, dozens of people were fighting hand to hand, some wrestling over barricades while others grappled to the ground, the Los Angeles Times reported.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for hand-to-hand
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand-to-hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hand-to-hand
Cite this Entry
“Hand-to-hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-to-hand. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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