HANDING OVER Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

handing over

verb

present participle of hand over

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

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in handing

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 Finding The Balance Between Automation And Connection The challenge for marketing leaders is using AI without handing over the keys to your brand kingdom. — Jenny Herbison, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 Taking over from film journalist Wolf Donner, de Hadeln would spend more than two decades as the head of the festival, before handing over the baton to Dieter Kosslik. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 July 2026 After handing over the reins, Dimon will likely stay as executive chairman for a couple of years, the source said. — Anirban Sen, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Ferguson and his team had to build pitches on top of the existing ones, with some venues only handing over the premises days before, due to commercial commitments. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 5 June 2026 Discussions have centered on AI firms voluntarily handing over shares to the government, with returns funneled to public purposes, such as dividends to all American households, according to NOTUS. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 June 2026 Norrased sought to reassure him, telling him that the water was being drained, and handing over blankets and food. — Jintamas Saksornchai, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 As for Tom, he’s blindsided by Carl and his former partner arranging the deal with the Department of Defense and even more deeply bruised by handing over precious VA personal data to men who spend their days dreaming up cynical ways to exploit it for profit. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 May 2026 Pirates reliever Dennis Santana brokered a trade with a young fan for the ball, handing over a bat signed by Valdez and a Pirates cap in exchange for Valdez's keepsake. — CBS News, 24 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over

Verb

While relinquishing the lead that night, Chapman tied Wilhelm’s record.

— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 4 July 2026
But for Iran, reopening the strait does not mean relinquishing control of it.

— Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

An old-school center, the Warriors gave him a handful of post-ups, providing him space to work with his back to the basket.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
Leaders on Wednesday wrapped up their annual meeting by providing a resume of what was discussed and decided.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026

Definition of providing

Verb

Be vigilant about never leaving young children and pets in vehicles without supervision, especially during periods of intense heat, as car interiors can quickly become extremely hot.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
Yet almost 90% of new money is chasing AI giants such as Anthropic and OpenAI, leaving non-AI startups and smaller funds squeezed as the pipeline of initial public offerings narrows to a few blockbuster bets.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of leaving

Verb

Golden State finished with a season-high 15 steals after handing Atlanta back-to-back losses to start the Dream's 0-4 road trip.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Voice assistants already complete purchases and arrange food deliveries, without handing control back to the user.

— Alex Gudilko, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of handing

Verb

Australia’s online platforms are stumbling at the very first step in implementing age checks for users, rendering a world-first teen social media ban ineffective, a study by a team that advised the government’s rollout of the curbs found.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2026
These extreme weather changes can cause pavement to expand, crack and warp, rendering some roads unusable until they are repaired.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 July 2026

Definition of rendering

Verb

With the crack of the ball against his bat, Tommy Edman scored from third, giving the Dodgers the lead.

— Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Another challenge is that the EV segment relies heavily on rare earths imported from China, giving Indian two-wheeler makers little control over supply and pricing.

— Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of giving

Browse Nearby Words

handing out

handing over

hand in hand

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of handing over

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes