In close combat; also, at close quarters. For example, If the enemy came any closer they would soon be fighting hand to hand . This expression, dating from about 1400, is usually restricted to military contexts but occasionally sees more general use.
In close combat; also, at close quarters. For example, If the enemy came any closer they would soon be fighting hand to hand . This expression, dating from about 1400, is usually restricted to military contexts but occasionally sees more general use.
from hand to hand . From one person to another; through a succession of persons. For example, The instructions were passed from hand to hand until everyone had seen them , or Over the generations the family albums went from hand to hand . [Mid-1500s]
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There’s been hand-to-hand combat around AI,” Murphy said, noting that most hyperscalers still put up robust earnings and have high credit ratings and low leverage.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
On-screen footage shows UFC fighter Michael Chandler explaining to an FBI agent how to neutralize an armed assailant with hand-to-hand combat.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
“It’s going to be a lot of hand-to-hand combat with the competition.”
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
From time to time I’ll make an exception and settle into a relative page-turner: nothing with cliffhangers or lots of hand-to-hand combat, mind you, but with a brisker narrative pace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
The plan that Constance and Foremole had jointly worked out would require very little hand-to-hand combat, much to the badger’s displeasure.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
A group of volunteers passes buckets of rubble from hand to hand in long lines.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
Radio Free Europe transmitted programs; samizdat passed typed manuscripts hand to hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
A container passed hand to hand with a quick smile and a promise to return it someday.
From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2026
Angel Romero, center, an instructor in defense training, teaches cadets hand to hand combat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025
In my experience the process worked, in that the stories were occasionally submitted, Xeroxed, and distributed hand to hand.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
