handle 1 of 2

Definition of handlenext
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as in to treat
to behave toward in a stated way handles all requests professionally, even when customers are rude

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of learned how to handle basic woodworking power tools

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 handle
Verb
Normally, the Florida Highway Patrol handles crashes on the Overseas Highway, but, according to the incident report, troopers were unable to respond. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 The digital humanities minor launched in 2011, built to handle about 25 students a year. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
The summer crime spike in Boston has Councilor Brian Worrell looking to strategies used in Baltimore, a city long known for violence, for ways to get a handle on recent homicides and mass shootings throughout the Hub. Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 Size Spatulas come in various sizes with options for both the length of the handle and the surface area of the head. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for handle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handle
Verb
  • With much of the country's economy geared toward its lucrative and well-managed fishing industry, fishing rights have been a talking point in the run-up to the referendum.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rebecca Sanders, a national safety practice leader at the transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers, led a 2019 report at Arizona State University and Toole Design looking at various strategies used across the country to manage speed.
    Jeff McMurray, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Car parts, for example, are generally treated like other goods from China despite ongoing tensions over the country’s fast-growing auto sector.
    Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Dark circles are the anchor of tired girl makeup, treated as a feature to style rather than a flaw to cover.
    Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Some help surgeons operate with greater precision, while others disinfect rooms, transport supplies, assist patients during rehabilitation, or provide comfort to people who are distressed.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Eight other reservoirs operated by the Bureau of Reclamation recently recorded the lowest levels in at least the last 30 years.
    Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • While not directly involved in controlling the system, humans give Spike rules of engagement all the while, supervising the entire system during operation.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Weerasethakul supervised the 4K restorations, which include remastered and remixed audio and new key art for each film.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That means tolerating the discomfort of not getting an immediate response, and directing all that nervous energy somewhere else.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The company says one potential application is a temperature logger used during the sterilization of retort food, where equipment needs to tolerate high temperatures while limiting moisture ingress.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The agreement had been offered last year and accepted by the official who oversees the Pentagon's Guantanamo war court, only to be revoked last August by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin amid criticism of the deal from Republican lawmakers.
    Steve Gorman, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Malone joined OpenAI in 2025 to help oversee its data-center buildout, including work connected to the company’s Stargate infrastructure plans.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That's pretty darn cool for people getting to grips with the latest generation of robotics programming tools and training systems.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes increasingly costly with no end in sight, the Kremlin has kept tightening its grip over Russian society.
    Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The cops don’t entirely buy that their serial killer is a high-school student, even as Bret identifies Robert by name.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Under the map labeled with Strong's name, the northernmost part of the Central zone would be extended west to I-430.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Handle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handle. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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