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• handler
  handler

  noun

  a person or thing that handles.
• Handler
  Handler

  noun

  Daniel . born 1970, US writer for older children, best known for the macabre humour of his A Series of Unfortunate Events , a sequence of books written in the persona of Lemony Snicket

handler

American  

[hand-ler] / ˈhænd lər /

noun

• handlers
  plural

1. a person or thing that handles.

2. Boxing. a person who assists in the training of a fighter or is the fighter's second during a fight.

3. a person who exhibits a dog in a bench show or field trial.

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handler ¹ British  

/ ˈhændlə /

noun

1. a person, esp a police officer, in charge of a specially trained dog

2. a person who handles some specified thing

   a baggage handler

3. a person who holds or incites a dog, gamecock, etc, esp in a race or contest

4. the trainer or second of a boxer

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Handler ² British  

/ ˈhændlə /

noun

1. Daniel . born 1970, US writer for older children, best known for the macabre humour of his A Series of Unfortunate Events , a sequence of books written in the persona of Lemony Snicket

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• handlers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of handler

1350–1400; Middle English. See handle, -er ¹

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Explanation

A handler is someone whose job involves dealing with a particular object, like a baggage handler at the airport. When you're responsible for handling or taking care of something, whether it's food or insurance claims, you're a handler. Other kinds of handlers manage people or animals — a dog handler is a type of trainer, for example. And some political advisors are also known as handlers: "The President had his handlers answer all the reporters' questions."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handler Handler handlers

There is also the work of the clinical navigators - clinicians reviewing notes taken by the call handler to weed out those in need of a rapid response.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Prosecutors alleged that Rogers dealt with a Chinese handler who, under the alias Hummin Lee, posed as an academic when he introduced himself at a conference in 2013.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Inside the NHS trust's central hub, call handler Claire Havelock describes the previous heatwave as "exhausting", with some staff unable to take breaks because of the relentless demand.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

In her previous job as mail handler, she worried that her position was going to be eliminated or even outsourced to a robot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

His allies pepper me with advice: Never go looking for your handler.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Meanwhile his son, Jack, won the Young Handler world title with his dog, Cydros Boss.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Big cheers to Chelsea Handler for taking up a travel etiquette cause we can probably all agree on: bare feet on planes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Anna Handler will serve as conductor in residence for the next three years, starting with the 2026-27 season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

“Finally, active managers can participate and join the passive moneymakers,” Jefferies CEO Rich Handler said in a recent letter to clients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The Times ’ Handler, beside me, was taking notes and muttering under his breath, “Incredible! Incredible!”

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

She allegedly filmed their home and vehicles and reported information back to handlers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

The police watchdog has criticised a force after call handlers told a family raising mental health concerns to ring a locksmith.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

When I’m making out with Amita, there are legitimately two men — two puppet handlers — on the ground controlling a little possum that I can see.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

Our call handlers received a considerable amount of information from members of the public and that assistance has been invaluable in helping us locate Jumaa.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Thanks to her, America’s spy handlers enjoyed highly secure communication links—far safer, for instance, than those used by America’s diplomats.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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