safe pair of hands
noun phrase
British
: someone who can be trusted with responsibility or a job
The next leader of the party should be a safe pair of hands.
Examples of safe pair of hands in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
He was seen as a capable politician and a safe pair of hands, one of the strongest members of Zelensky’s cabinet.
—
Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
While the Conservatives have traditionally been seen as a safe pair of hands, their reputation was rocked by the revelation that multiple parties were thrown inside Downing Street at a time when Johnson had placed the U.K. population under stringent COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing rules.
—Phil Boucher, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024
Singh was regarded as a safe pair of hands and was expected by many in the industry to oversee Sony’s next growth steps in the country.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 June 2024
In a country where impeachments are not uncommon, this was an important gesture: should Congress find Lula too radical, his backup looks to be a safe pair of hands.
—Oliver Stuenkel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2022
What Mattarella needed was essentially a safe pair of hands to reassure markets until Italy could hold another vote.
—Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2018
Qin’s successor, Wang, appears to be a safe pair of hands after the backroom drama of the past month.
—David Pierson, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
He is seen as a safe pair of hands capable of integrating Credit Suisse and salvaging core parts of its business.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 4 Apr. 2023
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.
Alex Stambaugh, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
While the Conservatives have traditionally been seen as a safe pair of hands, their reputation was rocked by the revelation that multiple parties were thrown inside Downing Street at a time when Johnson had placed the U.K. population under stringent COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing rules.
—Phil Boucher, Peoplemag, 5 July 2024
Singh was regarded as a safe pair of hands and was expected by many in the industry to oversee Sony’s next growth steps in the country.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 June 2024
In a country where impeachments are not uncommon, this was an important gesture: should Congress find Lula too radical, his backup looks to be a safe pair of hands.
—Oliver Stuenkel, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2022
What Mattarella needed was essentially a safe pair of hands to reassure markets until Italy could hold another vote.
—Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2018
Qin’s successor, Wang, appears to be a safe pair of hands after the backroom drama of the past month.
—David Pierson, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
He is seen as a safe pair of hands capable of integrating Credit Suisse and salvaging core parts of its business.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 4 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near safe pair of hands
Cite this Entry
“Safe pair of hands.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/safe%20pair%20of%20hands. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share