handle

American  

[han-dl] / ˈhæn dl /

noun

• handles
  plural

1. a part of a thing made specifically to be grasped or held by the hand.

2. that which may be held, seized, grasped, or taken advantage of in effecting a purpose.

   The clue was a handle for solving the mystery.

3. Slang.

   1. a person's name, especially the given name.

   2. a person's alias, nickname, or code name.

   3. a username, as on a social media website.

      What's your Twitter handle?

   4. a name or term by which something is known, described, or explained.

4. the total amount wagered on an event, series of events, or for an entire season or seasons, as at a gambling casino or in horse racing.

   The track handle for the day was over a million dollars.

5. the total amount of money taken in by a business concern on one transaction, sale, event, or series of transactions, or during a specific period, especially by a theater, nightclub, sports arena, resort hotel, or the like.

6. hand.

7. Informal. a way of getting ahead or gaining an advantage.

   The manufacturer regards the new appliance as its handle on the Christmas market.

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verb (used with object)

• handles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• handled,
  past participle,  past
• handling
  present participle

1. to touch, pick up, carry, or feel with the hand or hands; use the hands on; take hold of.

2. to manage, deal with, or be responsible for.

   My wife handles the household accounts.

   This computer handles all our billing.

3. to use or employ, especially in a particular manner; manipulate.

   to handle color expertly in painting.

4. to manage, direct, train, or control.

   to handle troops.

5. to deal with (a subject, theme, argument, etc.).

   The poem handled the problem of instinct versus intellect.

6. to deal with or treat in a particular way.

   to handle a person with tact.

7. to deal or trade in.

   to handle dry goods.

   Synonyms:

   peddle, hawk, market, carry, vend, sell

verb (used without object)

• handles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• handled,
  past participle,  past
• handling
  present participle

1. to behave or perform in a particular way when handled, directed, managed, etc..

   The troops handled well.

   The jet was handling poorly.

idioms

1. get / have a handle on, to acquire an understanding or knowledge of.

   Can you get a handle on what your new boss expects?

2. fly off the handle, to become very agitated or angry, especially without warning or adequate reason.

   I can't imagine why he flew off the handle like that.

handle British  

/ ˈhændəl /

noun

1. the part of a utensil, drawer, etc, designed to be held in order to move, use, or pick up the object

2. a glass beer mug with a handle

3. slang a person's name or title

4. a CB radio slang name for call sign

5. an opportunity, reason, or excuse for doing something

   his background served as a handle for their mockery

6. the quality, as of textiles, perceived by touching or feeling

7. the total amount of a bet on a horse race or similar event

8. informal to become suddenly extremely angry

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verb

1. to pick up and hold, move, or touch with the hands

2. to operate or employ using the hands

   the boy handled the reins well

3. to have power or control over

   my wife handles my investments

4. to manage successfully

   a secretary must be able to handle clients

5. to discuss (a theme, subject, etc)

6. to deal with or treat in a specified way

   I was handled with great tact

7. to trade or deal in (specified merchandise)

8. (intr) to react or respond in a specified way to operation or control

   the car handles well on bends

handle More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing handle

• fly off the handle
• get a fix (handle) on

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• handleability
  noun
• overhandle
  verb (used with object)
• prehandle
  verb (used with object)
• rehandle
  verb (used with object)
• handleable
  adjective
• handled
  adjective
• handleless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• handles
  plural

Participles

• handling
  present
• handled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• handle
  simple
• handles
  simple
• have handled
  perfect
• has handled
  perfect
• am handling
  progressive
• are handling
  progressive
• is handling
  progressive
• have been handling
  perfect progressive
• has been handling
  perfect progressive

Past

• handled
  simple
• had handled
  perfect
• was handling
  progressive
• were handling
  progressive
• had been handling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will handle
  simple
• will have handled
  perfect
• will be handling
  progressive
• will have been handling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of handle

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English handel, Old English hand(e)le, derivative of hand ; (verb) Middle English handelen, Old English handlian (cognate with German handlen, Old Norse hǫndla “to seize”), derivative of the noun

Explanation

To handle something is to control it, the way an elephant handler might handle an elephant, or the way you would use a handle to lift a suitcase. If you're panicking, a friend might suggest you "get a handle on yourself." How to get a handle on the word handle? Start with the thumb. Much like the word “thimble” is derived from “thumb,” “handle” essentially refers to an object held "in hand," or placed under your control. Handle can also have a more abstract meaning, such as understanding or grasping a concept. You should be able to handle geometry before you start trig, right? A handle is also slang for a nickname. "What's your handle?" is another way of saying "What's your name?"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handle handles handled handling

Zambians have been urged not to consume, sell, distribute or handle meat from animals that have died suddenly or from suspected anthrax.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

"This is the test. This is what comes with that job, and now he has to decide how to handle it," said David Wessel, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

The city’s transmission lines can’t handle the wattage demanded by heavy industry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

How should I handle invitations from this person in the future?

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

Instead, she says, “You could come stay with me. I have a guest room. I use it as an office, so it would be a tight squeeze, but we could handle this together.”

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

The FBI handles international cyber frauds and cross-border financial crimes.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

On Tuesday, truckers in the Strait of Hormuz port of Bandar Abbas, which handles the bulk of Iran’s container traffic, warned they could follow suit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

She has a good relationship with her landlord, who “fixes things quickly and handles taking the trash bins out.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

According to TTP, the ad was posted by more than 50 different handles in India over a fortnight in August this year.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

She handles it herself, gives me a wink, and jumps off the front of the stage.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

But he added that, irrespective of Letby's convictions, "serious failures" at the hospital – and the way in which managers handled concerns as they emerged – must not be repeated elsewhere.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

In separate interviews, the three journalists detailed how they handled their duties and serving their viewers while also dealing with their own personal fears, including worries that family members might be in harm’s way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

It refers to how quickly the ballot was handled by the Postal Service, not whether the ballot reached the election officials on time.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told police chiefs that lessons must be learned from how they handled last weekend's anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth - saying she expects officers to use all powers necessary.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

There was only one other kid who handled the ball as well.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

James claimed he was handling the case of Monk’s incarcerated adult child.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

To seem more believable, real human workers were mixed in with the bots -- roughly one human for every three AI personas -- handling things the AI couldn't, like video calls.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

“We remain focused on handling claims with care, consistency and attention to each customer’s unique situation.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

The defendants are accused of helping to organise the ill-fated journey by lodging and transporting the migrants, supplying the boat they left in, and handling the money they paid.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

The justices gave little indication of which way they were leaning, though Justice Thurgood Marshall offered a clue in an exchange with Solicitor General Erwin Griswold, who was handling the government’s case.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• administer
• conduct
• control
• discuss
• employ
• exercise
• govern
• operate
• play
• serve
• supervise
• take
• treat
• use
• utilize
• work