at hand
Idioms-
Also, . Within easy reach, nearby, as in I like to keep my tools close at hand . [1300s]
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Also, on hand . Nearby in time, soon, as in The day of judgment is at hand , or A change of administration is on hand . Also see on hand .
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.
I am certainly glad I had a napkin at hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
I asked him about the opportunity at hand.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
"I’ve been working towards AGI my whole life and now, like many of you, I feel it is close at hand," Hassabis wrote in Wednesday's blog post.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Once inside her childhood home, Annie was frightened by what she found—her mother’s purse and iPhone, items Nancy always kept close at hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
“That’s where we should dig,” Aunt Kitty announced, ever mindful of the case at hand.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
