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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in leaving
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another
hand over that screwdriver, will you please?
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Recent Examples of handing over
Since Obama, the first president to use an official account on the social media site then called Twitter, left office in January 2017, handing over online accounts has been part of the transition process between administrations.
—
Stephen Fowler, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Because of this, handing over $35 million (€30 million) to Manchester United for Rashford might be the safest bet after all.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Phase One encountered setbacks due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and the Israeli airstrikes that occurred after the cease-fire came into effect in October.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
At the same time, Ncuti Gatwa, the 15th Doctor, exited the show under something of a cloud, seemingly handing over the keys to a familiar face in Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Instead of simply handing over the keys, the former owners have taken the new young ones under their wing, offering advice and hands-on help.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Yeat joins him in another room, handing over what appears to be a file or document.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
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
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
Stephen Fowler, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
Because of this, handing over $35 million (€30 million) to Manchester United for Rashford might be the safest bet after all.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Phase One encountered setbacks due to Hamas not handing over the final deceased hostage and the Israeli airstrikes that occurred after the cease-fire came into effect in October.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 22 Jan. 2026
At the same time, Ncuti Gatwa, the 15th Doctor, exited the show under something of a cloud, seemingly handing over the keys to a familiar face in Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Instead of simply handing over the keys, the former owners have taken the new young ones under their wing, offering advice and hands-on help.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Yeat joins him in another room, handing over what appears to be a file or document.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over
Verb
-
The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This Santa Barbara County peak rises roughly 4,500 feet above sea level, providing panoramic views of the surrounding Los Padres National Forest.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
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Brundage approaches these materials with an appropriately critical eye, demonstrating their consistency with other records and their value in providing deeper human insight into prisoners’ experiences.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a strange twist, the Max app was developed by VKontakte (VK), which Durov co-founded before selling his shares and leaving Russia in 2014, after Durov said the Kremlin had asked the site to hand over Ukrainian users’ data.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Those many Americans who still understand that freedom is the magic elixir that drives growth and prosperity are exiting blue states, leaving them to stew in their left-wing, socialist, low-growth and low-opportunity juices.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Children were often seen handing the monks flowers, who in return gifted blessing strings.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The singer grew up watching his idols win awards on television, and eventually, those idols began handing him the awards.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In pushing for cuts, he could be outvoted, rendering himself the functional equivalent of a potted plant.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
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The move from Royal Lodge follows Charles stripping his brother of all of his royal titles and privileges back in October, rendering him a commoner.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This research marks the first time scientists have identified the specific amino acids — arginine and tyrosine — that act as molecular glue, giving spider silk its legendary properties.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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There are also giant granite boulders dotting the shore, giving it a decidedly remote, rugged feel.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 6-foot-2 guard/forward is in his first season with the Cougars after transferring from Andrean last spring.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Few knew what kind of influence the 7-4 center would have after transferring from Boston and missing a year because of a knee injury.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At 37 years old, Stafford led the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), while recording a career-low eight interceptions.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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Attempting to break an Eastern Washington University receiving record is like trying to set a franchise passing mark with the Patriots.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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