1
as in to relinquish
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
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2
as in to provide
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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3
as in to hand
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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as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
though the handover of my wallet was painful, it was better than getting shot by some trigger-happy punk
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hand over
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In September 2025, the company handed over the P-78 FPSO, with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day, to Petrobras, the first in a growing line of Brazilian vessels.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Apple Daily and Next Magazine continued to criticize the Chinese government after the 1997 British handover.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Verb
These are not simply attentive and thoughtful touches, the kind of service that hands over a box of matches on a silver tray—staff are emotionally invested in the place and most have been with Shakti for over 10 years, so their sense of hospitality is unforced and from the heart.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
In September 2025, the company handed over the P-78 FPSO, with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day, to Petrobras, the first in a growing line of Brazilian vessels.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Submarine moves closer to deployment after maintenance cycle In its latest phase of early service activity, the USS New Jersey has returned to US Navy control following a structured cycle of corrections, upgrades, and maintenance rather than a first-time handover, Army Recognition writes.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Apple Daily and Next Magazine continued to criticize the Chinese government after the 1997 British handover.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hand over
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand over
Verb
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This suggests that Bronze Age individuals relinquished pieces of their wealth as a sacred offering.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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But desire refuses to relinquish its demands.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His elite pass protection and calm feet mean he can be trusted immediately to keep the quarterback clean on passing downs, while also providing a high-effort presence on special teams.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After a bit of back-and-forth, one of the crew members grabbed a plastic bag and handed it to a tall, radiantly handsome Canadian actor named Marc.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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The scrums and after-whistle activity that defined the first period of Game 2 and much of Game 1 simply were not there in Game 3, with the Lightning seemingly content to play between the whistles in an effort to avoid handing the Canadiens power plays in bunches.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The merciful end came three weeks after Sunderland’s surrender to relegation in May 2017.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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But for my momentary surrender to the orchestra and the rhythm of the waltz, my thoughts have been elsewhere.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deputies rendered medical aid; however, one man and the woman succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Perhaps Pfleger would be well advised to stick to his faith and his flock and to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, rather than to continue to pontificate from the pulpit — or even the paper.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The casting has always managed to feel diverse, but in a guileless, incidental way, giving the appearance of multicultural inclusion without espousing any explicitly progressive viewpoints.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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Inning-ending calls have been overturned, giving hitters another opportunity that, in some cases, has led to game-changing home runs.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then Cash made another surprising move by leaving Vilade in to hit against Gaddis rather than pinch-hitting lefty Jake Fraley, and that also paid off when Vilade delivered an RBI single up the middle.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
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The country’s labor market didn’t come to a standstill, as was the case in other countries in the region such as the United Arab Emirates where the vast majority of workers are migrants who tried to leave, but for Rozen, something new and troubling was laid bare.—
Theia Chatelle,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Let’s Talk TV public process received close to 15,000 submissions included in the official record.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
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Allin used multiple submission maneuvers to eventually for Ciampa to tap out.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand%20over. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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