1
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in providing
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption
in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in handing
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another
handed over their valuables to the desk clerk, who put them in the hotel safe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in passing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
hand over that screwdriver, will you please?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 handing over
Ultimately, China gets to keep the TikTok algorithm, simply licensing the algorithm to the US instead of handing over the heart of TikTok's success.
—
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
No one sensible is handing over a phone that is barely 12 months old for the latest, iterative update.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But Kering has lost significant ground in the luxury space over the last few years as its core Gucci brand has slowed and Pinault is handing over operational duties to turnaround specialist Luca de Meo.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
But every so often, artists take a rarer route — handing over both the screen time and very much muted mic to stars who lip-sync in their place.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly and pointedly rejected any potential deal that would involve handing over Ukrainian territory.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Hayden could be seen handing over his fly fishing pole to a crew member as the pair and filming crew began making their way downstream.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
No one sensible is handing over a phone that is barely 12 months old for the latest, iterative update.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But Kering has lost significant ground in the luxury space over the last few years as its core Gucci brand has slowed and Pinault is handing over operational duties to turnaround specialist Luca de Meo.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
But every so often, artists take a rarer route — handing over both the screen time and very much muted mic to stars who lip-sync in their place.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly and pointedly rejected any potential deal that would involve handing over Ukrainian territory.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 9 Aug. 2025
Hayden could be seen handing over his fly fishing pole to a crew member as the pair and filming crew began making their way downstream.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over
Verb
-
The cost of obtaining them will very quickly amount to billions of dollars, which could force Musk to pay by relinquishing shares.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
His mother would soon pass, and Agee hadn’t had the opportunity to find a new place to live after relinquishing his apartment pre-Suicide Squad.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
As the image of a college education providing the future to financial security has already started to show cracks, here is another — the top and bottom poverty rates by major.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Mara Roszak developed the RŌZ Evergreen Style Cream to use in place of traditional gels, providing light-to-medium hold with shea butter, hydrolyzed pea protein, and carnauba wax.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Pass this newsletter to a friend — like handing them a bottle of ice-cold water during a marathon.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The department is warning people to be vigilant and to avoid handing their devices to strangers.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This has become the norm, with the club’s outstanding start appearing more like the aberration with each passing day.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Granite Hills had just 59 yards passing at the break with 21 of those coming on the last play of the half.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is less computationally intensive than actually rendering all three of those frames; it can be combined with MetalFX's existing temporal upscaling, boosting performance even further.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
But the speed came from all three levels of Green Bay’s defense, rendering Washington’s offense almost inoperative.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The club fees paid by growers go to marketing investments used for websites, TikToks, and ads, giving it wider appeal.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
-
As the overall matter heads towards its March 9, 2026 trial date start, Judge Liman will have the final word – for now – on bringing Swift on board and giving Baldoni and his Wayfarer co-founders more time for their own depositions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The world might end up ruled by large technology companies that impose their solutions throughout entire continents, leaving little space for homegrown creativity.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Many travelers like to take that whole week off, leaving the weekend before Christmas.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Right-hander Spencer Bivens assumed the bulk role, turning in his longest outing of the season by pitching 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
My Indian grandmother is turning in her grave.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share