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hand down
verb
handed down; handing down; hands down
1
: to transmit in succession (as from father to son)
2
: to make official formulation of and express (the opinion of a court)
Examples of hand down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An Ada County jury on Tuesday handed down a guilty verdict for a Nampa man who killed the suspect in his mother’s stabbing death.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 15 May 2024
The sentence was handed down on May 8, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 13 May 2024
After the judgment was handed down, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said stopping anyone from using the song to incite division and insult the national anthem is a necessary measure for the city to maintain national security.
—Fox News, 8 May 2024
His sentence was handed down in federal court by U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee, who also ordered Sibella to pay a fine of $9,500.
—Christopher Weber, Fortune, 8 May 2024
But, hands down the coolest part of this property is its on-site funicular that takes guests for a ride straight from the hotel to the beach and back again.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2024
Last month, the court handed down a procedural decision that allowed Idaho’s law to take effect restricting care for transgender youth, but not for the children and parents who sued to challenge it.
—David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
This travel shoe bag is hands down my favorite discovery.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
When budget is a question, consider whether older kiddos can hand down clothes to their younger siblings.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hand down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near hand down
Cite this Entry
“Hand down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20down. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
hand down
verb1
: to pass down from older to younger (as from parent to child)
2
: to form and express a judicial decision
Legal Definition
hand down
transitive verb1
: to deliver (the decision or opinion of an appellate court) to the proper office of an inferior court
2
: to make an official formulation of and announce (the decision of a court)
More from Merriam-Webster on hand down
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hand down
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