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Definition of handnext
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as in flank
a place, space, or direction away from or beyond a central point or line tall buildings rose on either hand nothing but wide open space on either hand

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as in needle
an arrow-shaped piece on a dial or scale for registering information both hands of the clock pointed to 12

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as in signature
a person's name written in their own handwriting often given to indicate awareness or consent the subpoena required a lawyer's hand

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hand

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verb

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as in to pass
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another the clerk handed her the receipt

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hand
Noun
Your hands will come floating up behind an iron grille, your voice will float out from the darkness of the enclosure. Literary Hub, 7 May 2026 Anthony initially sprained his hand checking his swing during his first at bat of Monday’s win over the Detroit Tigers. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
Verb
Never had things handed to them growing up. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026 But their nascent campaigns are animated by their disdain for the way Patty García was handed the party’s nomination. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand
Noun
  • The tunnel would create a second route to transport water from new intakes on the Sacramento River to the south side of the Delta, where pumps send water into the aqueducts of the State Water Project.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
  • When the article appeared, Bores forwarded it along to the woman on the other side of the exchange.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • But Unikowsky maintains that to find a needle in the Google haystack, Google had to sift through hundreds of millions of accounts.
    Nina Totenberg, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
  • But an imperfect first law still moves the needle.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • As of December, Cloudflare had 5,156 employees.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
  • Shelter employees identified him through an NYPD CrimeStoppers alert, leading to his arrest two days later.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The fake medical prescriptions were legible, but the handwriting looked more like the output of an iPad stylus than a pen on paper.
    Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
  • Somewhere in these stacks is a working dossier of Étienne Charavay, the handwriting expert whose analysis gave technical credibility to the prosecution in the Dreyfus Affair.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Moving the Department of Education under the governor’s control just gives even more power to the same Sacramento insiders who have turned our schools into some of the worst in the country.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • As Polis has discovered, firm Democratic control doesn’t translate into a unified vision for the state.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • In college, possession is awarded to one team or the other based on an alternating possession arrow, but at the pro level the players involved in the call actually have to play out the jump to resume the game.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
  • The governor faces federal charges, including narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, along with another conspiracy count.
    CBS News, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Noun
  • Visitors with specific needs can contact Guest Services for assistance.
    Taylor Haught, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
  • In a report set to be presented Tuesday to the Police Commission, LAPD officials said drones were deployed more than 3,000 times last year, mostly in response to emergency calls or officer requests for assistance.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But as online marketplaces widen their delivery network across the country and social media marketing levels the playing field, direct-to-consumer, or D2C, brands are on the rise in India, according to experts.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 May 2026
  • The head count at the consolidated headquarters went from around five hundred to just sixteen, eliminating many policy experts who had assisted field offices with difficult cases.
    E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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