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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.


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.

One maker of a counter-drone tool in the hands of the federal authorities explains that their technology can interact and communicate directly in the drone’s language, enabling it to be taken over.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

Before the models were released, Anthropic warned that Mythos was so powerful that it could potentially be dangerous in the hands of bad actors.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 13, 2026

Heartfelt farewell letters can also be mocked up and placed in the hands of a deceased relative.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

Brook drove and pulled his way to a 64-ball half-century, before one pull too many at Smith ended in the hands of long leg.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Burnham knew that placing the future of the fair in the hands of bankers would mean its certain failure.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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