overhandle

verb

over·​han·​dle ˌō-vər-ˈhan-dᵊl How to pronounce overhandle (audio)
overhandled; overhandling

transitive verb

: to handle (something) more than is necessary or desirable
overhandled the dough so that it softened too much
overhandles the puck at least once in each game and costs his team a key goal.Elliott Pap

Examples of overhandle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Cooke describes ascendant females tormenting their underlings, obstructing access to water and food, and snatching their babies away only to overhandle and then neglect the infants. Rebecca Giggs, The Atlantic, 6 May 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overhandle was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near overhandle

Cite this Entry

“Overhandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overhandle. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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