single-handed

American  

[sing-guhl-han-did] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˈhæn dɪd /

adjective

1. accomplished or done by one person alone.

   a single-handed victory; single-handed sailing.

2. by one's own effort; unaided.

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adverb

1. by oneself; alone; without aid.

   He built the garage single-handed.

single-handed British  

adjective

1. unaided or working alone

   a single-handed crossing of the Atlantic

2. having or operated by one hand or one person only

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Usage

What does single-handed mean? Single-handed is used to describe something done or accomplished alone—without help from anyone, as in a single-handed attempt.It can also be used as an adverb meaning the same thing as single-handedly, as in Carol completed the project single-handed—she did every last thing herself. Single-handed is also used in situations in which someone has done something without help from anyone else even though they were available, as in She beat the other team single-handed—scoring the final 15 points of the game by herself. Example: This usually takes three or four people, so how did you manage to do it single-handed?

Other Word Forms

• single-handedly adverb
• single-handedness noun

Etymology

Origin of single-handed

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

Soon after, Halligan almost single-handedly secured the indictments of Comey on charges of lying to Congress and James on allegations of mortgage fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal

A president who has reveled in his ability to single-handedly direct policy—often prompting stocks, bonds, and the dollar to swing rapidly—now suddenly finds himself more constrained.

From Barron's

"With Palmer out, Caicedo has even become an important goalscorer and creator, as we saw on Saturday where he effectively won the game for the Blues single-handedly."

From BBC

However, he says that tech isn’t single-handedly carrying the load: Seven of the S&P 500’s 11 sectors are more profitable than normal.

From Barron's

Shohei Ohtani had almost single-handedly hauled the Dodgers back into the contest, blasting two home runs and getting on base a record nine times.

From Barron's