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Synonyms

hand over

British  

verb

  1. to surrender possession of; transfer

"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

noun

  1. a transfer or surrender

"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 over Idioms  

  1. Release or relinquish to another's possession or control. For example, You may as well hand over the money, or He decided to hand the store over to his children. [c. 1800] For a synonym, see turn over, def. 5.

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.

A scarcity of talent has, on balance, given workers the upper hand over their employers.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Doing taxes used to be a very high-touch process, where you’d meet in person with your preparer and hand over all your documents, and they’d complete your return right in front of you.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

It is understood Lord Mandelson will be asked to hand over all documents in scope of the motion, which would include messages with ministers and McSweeney dating back to summer 2024.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

The delay could slow overall plane deliveries this month, the spokeswoman said, but the company is sticking by its goal to hand over roughly 500 of the 737 MAX planes to customers this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

I run my hand over the too-frizzy front.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.