How to Use empty-handed in a Sentence

empty-handed

adjective
Definition of empty-handednext
  • That doesn’t mean the Dodgers will emerge from the trade deadline empty-handed.
    — Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2023
  • But the Blue Jays have left each of these sweepstakes empty-handed.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
  • But there’s good news for fans who have come up empty-handed.
    — Emily Heil, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
  • But the team came away nearly empty-handed in the effort.
    — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 29 Aug. 2023
  • The group fled empty-handed, but Tess’ wounds were fatal.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2023
  • The Oilers deserved some points — maybe as many as four — but came up empty-handed.
    — Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
  • The inning, though, showed fight and a stubborn refusal to slink away empty-handed.
    — Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2024
  • Some went to extreme lengths to ensure they wouldn’t be left empty-handed.
    — Kyle Glaser, Orange County Register, 16 May 2024
  • Killers went home empty-handed on Sunday night, one of the rare times that’s happened this season.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2024
  • Like his comic book alter ego, then, Kraven the Hunter was always destined to come home empty-handed in the end.
    — Mark Hughes, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
  • Both women come back empty-handed, but not for lack of trying.
    — Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2023
  • But the researchers packed up four hours later, empty-handed.
    — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2023
  • Many of them left empty-handed, according to residents who spoke to The Times.
    — Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2023
  • Why would anybody point a gun at poor empty-handed Stephen Plato McRae?
    — Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
  • That fellow ended up walking out empty-handed, as did a man who ditched a full cart near the entrance.
    — Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
  • More than two-thirds go away empty-handed, according to one of cooks working there.
    — NBC News, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The police arrived and attempted to chase down the car but returned empty-handed.
    — Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2024
  • Needing to get home to their two papillons, the couple leave empty-handed.
    — Cathy Alter, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023
  • But as for Koala’s cause of death, scientists are coming up empty-handed.
    — Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024
  • McElhenney first set about a futile search of the Racehorse Grounds for any leftovers, but he was left empty-handed.
    — Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 Oct. 2024
  • The argument here is that if too many people feel comfortable showing up empty-handed, the potluck won’t be much of a meal at all.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 July 2024
  • He’s already been very classy about the jokes on social media and the simple fact is 80% of the nominees lose, so there’s no shame in going home empty-handed.
    — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Last year, his dad won the vintage category, but Mitch had gone home empty-handed.
    — Michael E. Miller, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023
  • But Ukraine will hardly be leaving the summit empty-handed.
    — Yasmeen Serhan, Time, 12 July 2023
  • Don’t be surprised if one or two of them leave the Academy Awards empty-handed, or with just a single statuette to show for their efforts.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
  • But the distributor there didn’t want to work with Washington, so Mizell sent him away empty-handed.
    — Vulture, 29 Jan. 2024
  • Debra Goldman is a die-hard TJX shopper that never leaves a store empty-handed.
    — Thomas Lee, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
  • The Rangers came away empty-handed after registering just one shot on goal while Stenlund was in the penalty box.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 26 May 2024
  • Kesse’s family and a team of investigators have spent the past 19 years looking for leads in the hopes of finding her — but have often come up empty-handed.
    — Alex Gurley, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025
  • But they were largely left empty-handed as the chamber only voted on three amendments and only adopted two.
    — Al Weaver, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empty-handed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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