in the hands of

Idioms  

1. In the possession of; in the custody or under the authority of. For example, In the hands of the decorator the hall was completely transformed. [Late 1200s] Also see in hand; in one's hands.

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Example Sentences

Fire officials said the work of cleaning up the debris and rotting meat at the SoCal cold storage facility is now in the hands of the tenant, Lineage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

Hoekstra echoed that sentiment, telling CTV that the future of North American free trade is in the hands of Trump and Carney.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

The Scots’ fate now lies in the hands of other countries—who are all dying to send them home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

“Everyone in the ecosystem is really incented to get land and power in the hands of people who can energize it, because everyone starts to make more money when the GPUs are energized,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

The other end was still in the hands of one of the kneeling men.

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner