at the hands of

phrase

variants or less commonly at the hand of
: by or through the action of
suffering at the hands of a cruel dictator

Examples of at the hands of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To stay in the chase, the Twins desperately need collective performances such as Sunday’s when Zebby Matthews provided a dominant start and the lineup pieced together enough offense to avoid a sweep at the hands of Chicago. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 But there is something else tied to his Jewish heritage that keeps things in perspective — the struggles his grandmother went through escaping liquidation at the hand of the Nazis in her Polish hometown. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Related Stories The story follows Robbie, whose parents were murdered at the hands of notorious gangster Franz Müller in the 90s. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 Even Treadwell, who spend thirteen summers in Alaska compiling some 100 hours of bear footage, wasn’t even remotely prepared for his encounters, evidenced by his tragic death at the hands of one of his beloved grizzlies. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at the hands of

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at the hands of was in 1581

Rhymes for at the hands of

See All Rhymes for at the hands of

Browse Nearby Words

at the first sign
at the hands of
at the head of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At the hands of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20hands%20of. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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