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

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

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 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 futures are on pace for their biggest monthly gain on record, with contracts for April delivery rising another 2.7% in overnight trading to change hands at $108.22 a barrel.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

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

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis