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Synonyms

helping hand

American  

noun

  1. aid; assistance.

    to give the destitute a helping hand.
helping hand British  

noun

  1. assistance

    many people lent a helping hand in making arrangements for the party
"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
helping hand Idioms  

  1. see under lend a hand.

Etymology

Origin of helping hand

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

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.

What’s more, lower interest rates and new tax cuts were expected to lend a helping hand.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

“The voters are stuck with no choice here. And I had a helping hand in creating that situation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

"Not in sentimental or grand gestures, but gentle ones. A moment of listening, a word of comfort, a friendly conversation, a helping hand, presence."

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

Marwan Marouf’s friends say that he’s the kind of Texan to show up at your door when hardship strikes with a bag of groceries, a smile and a helping hand.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025

It was like I wanted to give up—because in society nobody wants to give us a helping hand.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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.