handlebars

British

/ ˈhændəlˌbɑːz /

plural noun

(sometimes singular) a metal tube having its ends curved to form handles, used for steering a bicycle, motorcycle, etc

"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

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.

The person at the handlebars, whose back Colin clutches in moments of adrenaline-infused intimacy, is Ray, played with a sense of flinty mystery by Mr. Skarsgård.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

“Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns: These are not hands that have been allowed to hold power,” he said.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025

Once on campus, Mara found himself on the receiving end of endless stares, particularly when he zipped around on a scooter that required him to slump over to reach the handlebars.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

Such was Deignan's determination to win, the handlebars of her bike were traced with blood at the finish.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024

I grab my bike and lift him onto the handlebars.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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