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

After the Mercedes swung around and law enforcement vehicles surrounded it, the driver stepped out with his hands up — only to swiftly step back inside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

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

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

From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026

Nonetheless, don’t expect any team to start instructing its hitters to move their hands up off the knob.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

Theo asks, throwing his hands up in the air.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse