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.
So I’ll be watching with popcorn in hand for more subtle clues about which direction this chief will take the central bank: How transparent will Warsh be compared with his predecessor?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026
Khâluna — I arrived at Khâluna straight from the train station, suitcase in hand, and was immediately blown away.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
And so, the defining image of the event is Donald Trump—razor in hand and a weird little grin on his face—shaving McMahon bald.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
Keyla Marquez, our fashion director at large, asked, turning to me from inside the buttery dome, glass of Champagne in hand.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Steph bounces out of the house, cell phone in hand, as a big SUV pulls up to the curb.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
