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  • hand-out
    hand-out
    noun
    clothing, food, or money given to a needy person
  • hand out
    hand out
    Distribute, as in The teacher handed out the test papers. [Late 1800s] For a synonym, see pass out, def. 1.
Synonyms

hand-out

British  

noun

  1. clothing, food, or money given to a needy person

  2. a leaflet, free sample, etc, given out to publicize something

  3. a statement or other document distributed to the press or an audience to confirm, supplement, or replace an oral presentation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to distribute

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
hand out Idioms  
  1. Distribute, as in The teacher handed out the test papers. [Late 1800s] For a synonym, see pass out, def. 1.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It means councils can give those experiencing difficulties direct access to cash in the hopes of removing the need for hand-out provisions.

From BBC Jan. 15, 2026

The hand-out on the dress code had been run off on a mimeograph machine that had seen much better days.

From Time Dec. 10, 2014

Their response is the kind of gratitude a Caesar might hand-out to an innocent messenger on receiving unwelcome news.

From The Guardian Apr. 3, 2013

Many ex-militants complain that they only receive a small portion of the stipend, while their former commanders pocket most of the hand-out.

From Reuters Jun. 4, 2012

She flipped ahead to look at the last page of the hand-out, looking for a clue about where this whole thing would end up.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

Jeffrey Gundlach, who runs DoubleLine Capital and does not hand out compliments like Halloween candy, put it plainly in a post on social-media platform X: “Even Lacy Hunt has turned bearish, to his credit.”

From MarketWatch Jul. 27, 2026

So, as Major League Baseball pauses play and honors some of the best performers in each league, now’s a good time to hand out our first-half awards.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 12, 2026

A handful of mainly religious and aid groups hand out food, water, sanitary towels and nappies.

From Barron's Jun. 17, 2026

“In the old days, which was a year ago…you’d print out the statements of the town Visa card, Mastercard, and you would hand out a box of highlighters and go to work.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 5, 2026

He thrusts his hand out and immobilizes the trolls.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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