handing over

verb

present participle of hand over
1
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress the police officer ordered the suspect to hand over his weapons

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2
as in providing
to put (something) into the possession of someone for use or consumption in response to a desperate plea, we handed over all our extra blankets and pillows to the homeless shelter

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3
as in leaving
to put (something) into the possession or safekeeping of another handed over their valuables to the desk clerk, who put them in the hotel safe

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4
as in handing
to shift possession of (something) from one person to another hand over that screwdriver, will you please?

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of handing over These changes have not been enough to convince allies that the United States is serious about handing over responsibility for conventional deterrence. — Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026 But Scalable is not handing over unrestricted control of customer accounts to AI. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 The premier, who visited Ukraine for the first time on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, is handing over data to produce Storm Shadow missiles. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026 Homeowners can’t obtain advice or accurate estimates without handing over their phone numbers and risk being pestered by overzealous salespeople. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 Tyler, the Creator is once again making fans do a little homework before handing over the goods. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026 Smith stepped away from the series after the fifth season, handing over charge to Gaby Chiappe for season six and Ben Vanstone for season seven. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026 Iger, of course, stepped aside from Disney once again earlier this year, handing over the company to Josh D’Amaro, who succeeded Chapek a the head of Disney’s experiences business. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 In some cases, Ukraine didn’t know whom Russia was handing over until after the exchange. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing over
  1. relinquishing
  2. providing
  3. leaving
  4. handing
  5. rendering
  6. giving
  7. transferring
  8. passing
Verb
  • But that would have meant Parton relinquishing half the publishing rights and therefore half the royalties.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • America is the ultimate answer to the pogrom, and to the emancipation Europe offered on the condition of relinquishing Jewish ethnic and cultural distinctiveness.
    — Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of relinquishing
Verb
  • Thompson will be joined by singer-songwriter Gary Clark, providing the music, with original lyrics by both her and Clark.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • For Abdul-Kafi, making barbecue means providing first-time experiences to people who have traditionally been unable to eat it.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of providing
Verb
  • However, the largest drop in June occurred among prime-age workers, leaving several economists puzzled and surprised.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • First, the power goes out, leaving Bret wandering the halls as lights flicker around him.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of leaving
Verb
  • That scoreboard is now misleading, because the same AI wave letting those companies shed jobs is handing thousands of capable people the time and the reason to build something of their own.
    — Lisa Curtis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After missing the playoffs in 2025, Martin started off on a great note, handing a solid Mansfield program a 38-35 loss.
    — Charles Baggarly August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of handing
Verb
  • But the force of the flooding could mean mud may be caked over such exits, rendering rescue plans difficult, Horney said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The software offered to fix it, rendering a version with the left side lifted and overlaying the before and after so the subject could watch his own jawline move.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rendering
Verb
  • YouTube‘s Pedro Pina has doubled down on the case against giving prominence to British broadcasters on digital services.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Autonomous trucking provider Gatik raised $200 million in a Series D funding round, giving the company fresh capital to scale its driverless fleet and expand its middle-mile network as demand for autonomous freight gains momentum.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of giving
Verb
  • Once in office, Escalona quickly began to roll back parts of Carollo’s legacy, including transferring the Tower Theater back to MDC.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Directly transferring the original walking policy failed because the second robot had different body proportions, joint configurations, and motor characteristics.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of transferring
Verb
  • Picture Angel Reese grabbing a rebound and passing to Caitlin Clark, who then fires down the floor to Paige Bueckers, who drives to the goal and fools the help defender with a dish to the best player on the planet.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • At their best, the offense was a sheer powerhouse—Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns, ranking among the league's top passing leaders while feeding a dominant receiving corps.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of passing

Browse Nearby Words

handing out
handing over
hand in hand
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Cite this Entry

“Handing over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20over. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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