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

Such slots can be worth tens of millions of pounds, but change hands only rarely.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Futures for Brent crude that will change hands in June traded around $118 a barrel, their highest since March 31 and an eighth consecutive daily increase.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

Global oil prices were in freefall, with Brent contracts for June delivery tumbling more than 13% to change hands at $83.37 a barrel, the lowest since March 5.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 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