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

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

"Almost undoubtedly it's in the hands of the voters of Makerfield as to whether or not Burnham becomes prime minister," political scientist John Curtice.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Rew top-edged a pull and should have been caught at long leg by Rachin Ravindra, then gloved another attempted pull that ended in the hands of first slip.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026

He left the watch party in the hands of his employees, since his mother had managed to snag tickets to the actual game for their family.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

The lithium experiment was in the hands of a graduate student named Milton White, who now got his first exposure to Ernest Lawrence in the throes of a mania.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik