in hand
Idioms-
Accessible at the present time, as in The company has very little cash in hand . [Late 1300s]
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Under one's control or authority, as in The police had the situation well in hand . [Early 1600s]
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In process, being settled, as in He was willing to give full attention to the matter in hand . [Late 1300s] Also see in one's hands .
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.
For Chelsea, however, the recriminations are widening, with Liverpool four points ahead with a game in hand and rivals Manchester United and Aston Villa looking increasingly difficult to catch.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
“This is a great, great example of what can be achieved when government and philanthropy work hand in hand for the public good,” Ressler said before thanking Govan for “taking bold risks.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
“You can never be too rich or too thin,” according to a famous saying, and after the rise of pricey GLP-1 medicines it seemed the two went hand in hand.
From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026
As a retiree, I have little to rely on but self-control, of which I have little when my phone is in hand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Ball in hand, I dunk two in a row, then three, then four.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
