lay hands on
Idioms-
Also, get one's hands on . Get someone or something in one's grasp, especially to do harm. For example, Tom's gone off with the keys again; just wait till I lay my hands on him . [c. a.d. 1000]
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Also, . Find, obtain, as in As soon as I lay hands on the book, I'll call you , or He couldn't seem to put his hands on last year's sales figures . Also see get hold of .
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.
On Saturday, we watched Bishop John O. Barres lay hands on Dillon’s head to confer the sacrament of the priesthood on him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
So I completely get why Larry David would lay hands on the world’s kindliest Muppet on live TV.
From Salon ● Feb. 9, 2024
Supreme Court — not to spare his life, but to allow his pastor to lay hands on him and pray in the execution chamber.
From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2022
"We ask people to abide by the park rules - we cannot physically lay hands on people to get them out of the lake," he added.
From BBC ● May 30, 2022
He stopped, glared at me as though I was some stranger who had dared to lay hands on him.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
