hands up

Idioms  

1. A direction or order to hold one's hands high, as in Hands up or I'll shoot! This imperative is used by police officers and criminals so that they can see if someone is holding a weapon. [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hands up

In particular, Rep. Lauren Boebert threw her hands up in dismay from her seat in the back corner of the chamber.

From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026

At some point, Silva peeks into the bushes and orders Garcia several times to come out with his hands up and to stop touching his bags.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

"Boxing is so easy: it's put your hands up and hit the other guy. That's it," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

He held both hands up as if to challenge skeptics to count his fingers.

From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026

And instead of running, Bryson just turned around, put his hands up, and did his best.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds