Hanks

American

[hangks] / hæŋks /

noun

Tom, born 1956, U.S. film actor.

Hanks British

/ hæŋks /

noun

Tom. born 1956, US film actor: his films include Splash (1984), Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and The Terminal (2004)

"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.

Hanks said the cast related to the storyline because they had all "met that disinterest" of young people who "look down at their phone, look up, look down, look up".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Tom Hanks hosts a revelatory documentary series on World War II; Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman lead a taut thriller; a comedy has satirical fun with FIFA; and much, much more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

When the girl asked O’Connor if she should call an ambulance, the woman told her no, District Attorney Investigator Christina Hanks wrote in a declaration filed in court.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

District Judge George Hanks Jr. tossed the suit out, noting that the statement was obvious “rhetorical hyperbole that cannot constitute defamation.”

From Salon • May 16, 2026

My guess is that many of you have the same impression of Tom Hanks.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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