on hand
Idioms-
In one's possession, available, as in The business needs to have enough cash on hand . [c. 1100]
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Present, as in Jim was always on hand to help . [Mid-1800s]
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Soon, imminent. See at hand , def. 2.
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.
Figuring out what can feed everyone, based on the time, cost and ingredients on hand, is a struggle that repeats every day around 5:30 p.m.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Around 350 members of Japan's Self-Defense Forces arrived last week in Borneo's hard-hit West Kalimantan province, with three helicopters on hand to assist with firefighting efforts, the mission's public affairs officer Takeshi Koga told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Of course, Nicole Kidman was on hand to call out the “SVU” star on her remarks that sounded eerily familiar to her AMC commercial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
As of July 31, it had $403 million on hand.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
He had decided to always have enough on hand for three days and after spending one night with the fire for a friend he knew what a staggering amount of wood it would take.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
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.
