overhand
Americanadjective
adverb
noun
verb (used with object)
-
overhands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
overhanded,
past participle, past
-
overhanding
present participle
adjective
-
thrown or performed with the hand raised above the shoulder
-
sewn with thread passing over two edges in one direction
adverb
-
with the hand above the shoulder; overarm
-
with shallow stitches passing over two edges
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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overhandsimple
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overhandssimple
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have overhandedperfect
-
has overhandedperfect
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am overhandingprogressive
-
are overhandingprogressive
-
is overhandingprogressive
-
have been overhandingperfect progressive
-
has been overhandingperfect progressive
Past
-
overhandedsimple
-
had overhandedperfect
-
was overhandingprogressive
-
were overhandingprogressive
-
had been overhandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overhand
Vocabulary lists containing overhand
Physical Education - Introductory
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Physical Education - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Lesch’s delivery had one major flaw: He threw directly overhand, as opposed to three-quarters or even sidearm, which can increase velocity but also places additional strain on the shoulder and elbow.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
The American challenger, who accepted the bout on just 15 days' notice, caused swelling under Serrano's right eye with an overhand left in the fifth.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026
Simpson was the home hero at the First Direct Bank Arena on Saturday but was on the back foot for much of the fight, struggling to deal with the smaller man's overhand right hands.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
Allen sparked to life in the ninth round and connected with an overhand right, but Makhmudov showed toughness and durability.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025
Suddenly to his own surprise Adam launched a wild, overhand, harmless swing which had neither force nor direction.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
"How shall I pass her up?" says I. Just then she made a spring for that rope ladder of ours and overhands up like a trapeze star.
From Shorty McCabe by F. Vaux (Francis Vaux) Wilson
She climbed Popocatepetl, the mysterious "Sleeping Woman" that overhands the ancient town, and looked into its crater.
From Love Eternal by Henry Rider Haggard
He threw TD passes underhanded, overhanded and shoveled one on Kansas City's three possessions in the first half.
From Fox News ● Oct. 10, 2021
Mahomes tossed TD passes underhanded, overhanded and shoveled one on Kansas City’s three possessions in the first half.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021
“This is something Errolson calls the ‘escape zip,’ ” Gibson said, indicating an unusual zipper along the jacket’s shoulder, and demonstrating how it could be used to enact an instantaneous, overhanded dejacketing.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 9, 2019
It has generally been accepted that pitching a baseball overhanded is unnatural, that the human arm is much better suited to the underhanded softball throw or the looping cricket delivery.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2016
Running designs 1 and 2 are to be overhanded together.
From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin
The cat leaped on to an overhanding rock, and as the hollow, raucous howl went ringing back and forth again the dogs turned questioningly, their eyes straining to seek the reality of the call.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
Hem or stitch along the edge, overhanding the ends of the band.
From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin
Turn in a seam at the opening, fill with powder and close by overhanding the edges together.
From Handicraft for Girls A Tentative Course in Needlework, Basketry, Designing, Paper and Cardboard Construction, Textile Fibers and Fabrics and Home Decoration and Care by Idabelle McGlauflin
The overhanding of narrow hems is not always necessary, but the ends may be made stronger thereby, and the stitch is a valuable one for the pupils to know.
From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools by Ontario. Ministry of Education
Fasten the pattern under the warp by overhanding to the rods, taking care to have the black strings directly over the perpendicular lines in the pattern.
From Hand-Loom Weaving A Manual for School and Home by Mattie Phipps Todd
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