hand over fist

Idioms  

1. Rapidly, at a tremendous rate, as in He's making money hand over fist. This expression is derived from the nautical hand over hand, describing how a sailor climbed a rope. [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

American consumers and small businesses alike are spitting fire these days about the cost of credit cards, while the companies profiting from them are making money hand over fist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

“Instead of buying hand over fist, China may cool down a little bit,” said Denton Cinquegrana, chief oil analyst at OPIS, which, like The Wall Street Journal, is owned by Dow Jones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

England made metres hand over fist and, that intensity, combined with set-piece dominance, made a breakthrough inevitable.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025

"Most of these guys are generating cash hand over fist and they are trying to reduce their reliance on banks, because they have seen how quickly banks are turning on the industry."

From Reuters • Nov. 24, 2022

He had seen men with fourth-grade educations who could barely read making money hand over fist, and he saw the place overcome by decadence and greed until the bust.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger