1
: without much effort : easily
2
: without question
hands-down adjective

Examples of hands down in a Sentence

She could win any race hands down. It's hands down the best movie of the year.

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hands down was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near hands down

Cite this Entry

“Hands down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hands%20down. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hands down

adverb
1
: easily sense 1
won the race hands down
2
: without question
is hands down the best pizza in town

More from Merriam-Webster on hands down

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!