as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
she's far too handless to be good at needlework
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Recent Examples of handless
Twenty-five years after authorities discovered a headless and handless man in a Michigan cornfield, arrests have been made in connection to the grisly murder.
—
Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 26 Jan. 2023
Two brothers were arrested this week on murder charges in connection to a 1997 Michigan cold case in which a man's headless and handless body was found in a cornfield, authorities said.
—Erin Pflaumer, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2023
When asked what doctors and nurses on the front lines at Cincinnati Children's Hospital needed to keep the hospital cleaner, the answer was quick: handless door hooks.
—James Weber, Cincinnati.com, 7 Apr. 2020
Join us on deck for games such as handless doughnut eating, deadeye bowling and cauldron tossing.
—Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2017
Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 26 Jan. 2023
Two brothers were arrested this week on murder charges in connection to a 1997 Michigan cold case in which a man's headless and handless body was found in a cornfield, authorities said.
—Erin Pflaumer, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2023
When asked what doctors and nurses on the front lines at Cincinnati Children's Hospital needed to keep the hospital cleaner, the answer was quick: handless door hooks.
—James Weber, Cincinnati.com, 7 Apr. 2020
Join us on deck for games such as handless doughnut eating, deadeye bowling and cauldron tossing.
—Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handless
Adjective
-
Isabel, sitting in a driving-range stall, is nearly hit with a ball when a clumsy golfer clangs it off a metal railing.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The results are often enervating though sometimes clumsy.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The image became a meme, repeatedly used to portray Miliband as awkward.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The communication was straightforward and a bit awkward, sadly missing the mentions of Nancy Guthrie’s humanity that had peppered the family’s first video.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handless. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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