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.
He said she did not lay hands on the security guard but was desperate to keep a hold of the bag and its contents.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 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
And Mr. Ramirez is asking for something unusual: He wants Mr. Moore to lay hands on him at the moment of his death.
From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2021
“Never lay hands on a girl” seems like a dumb rule to me when, again, Calvin’s about to enter a school where there will be girls three times his size.
From Slate • Aug. 2, 2021
As I walked out of the Masters’ Hall, I ignored the sinking feeling in my gut and tried to think of a way I could lay hands on more money by tomorrow noon.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
