door handle

American  

noun

Chiefly British.

door handles plural

1. doorknob.

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Usage

What is a door handle? A door handle is the handle used to open and close a door. Sometimes, it means the same thing as doorknob. But the word doorknob most often specifically refers to a handle shaped like a knob—a part that sticks out and has a rounded end. Door handles in other shapes might be called doorknobs, but it’s more likely for them to be called door handles or just handles. Another difference is that doorknobs typically turn. Door handles can turn, but they can also be fixed in place, like a vertical or horizontal bar. The term door handle can also refer to the one that’s used to open a car door. Example: I went to open the door and the door handle pulled right off—apparently its screws had gotten loose.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• door handles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of door handle

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

door handle

That challenge was exacerbated when sales were halted for months in late 2024 and early 2025 over a door handle recall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

The footage, which has since been handed to police, shows a man trying to pull a locked door handle.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

The new rules stipulate that all doors except the tailgate "shall be equipped with a mechanical release exterior door handle".

From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026

RSV can spread through coughs or sneezes but also by touching a contaminated surface, such as a door handle, and then touching your face before washing your hands, health officials warn.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025

I readied myself, but immediately my mother and my brother each laid one hand on a door handle.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath