change hands

Idioms  

1. Pass from one owner to another. For example, This house seems to change hands every other year, or The contract is valid only when money changes hands. [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

change hands

Critics said private loans rarely change hands, so they lack the volatility that funds face.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

Hosseini doesn’t expect a mass exodus to Dell following the latest round of headlines, and any business that does change hands will come with the same caveat.

From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026

Cameron Norrie has replaced Jack Draper as the British men's number one - but it is a position which could change hands several times this year.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

Currently, when investors buy and sell stocks, the cash and shares don’t change hands behind the scenes until the next business day in a process called “T+1 settlement.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026

There was no need on either side—long or short—for cash to change hands.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis