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

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

A recent auction by specialist auction house Stanley Gibbons Baldwins saw over £1.5m in "Pokémon assets" change hands.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

JBS, a giant meat and food processing company from the Netherlands, is up 25% year to date, with a 17% advance during the last month to change hands around $18.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 3% to change hands above $85 a barrel, close to its most expensive since the summer of 2024.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

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

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis