handshake
noun
hand·shake
ˈhan(d)-ˌshāk 
: a clasping usually of right hands by two people (as in greeting or farewell)
Examples of handshake in a Sentence
She greeted him with a handshake.
He has a firm handshake.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Rose Garden's grass lawn — once the site of Tricia Nixon's wedding and the historic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat — has been replaced with pale stone tiles.
—
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
In 13th-century Verona, merchants kept an eye on trade routes and used handshakes to sustain their businesses.
—Jodi Daniels, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
In the absence of his wife and regular cohost Kelly Ripa, the actor kicked off Thursday's Live edition by telling fill-in panelist Elle Duncan that he's severely bothered when, upon meeting a strapping fellow, the illusion of male bonding is shattered if their first handshake falls apart.
—EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Despite their handshake, there still appeared to be some bad blood between the two during a joint interview with NBC.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handshake
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.
Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
In 13th-century Verona, merchants kept an eye on trade routes and used handshakes to sustain their businesses.
—Jodi Daniels, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
In the absence of his wife and regular cohost Kelly Ripa, the actor kicked off Thursday's Live edition by telling fill-in panelist Elle Duncan that he's severely bothered when, upon meeting a strapping fellow, the illusion of male bonding is shattered if their first handshake falls apart.
—EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Despite their handshake, there still appeared to be some bad blood between the two during a joint interview with NBC.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handshake
Cite this Entry
“Handshake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handshake. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handshake
noun
hand·shake
-ˌshāk
: a clasping of hands by two people especially in greeting or farewell
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share