the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip"
Used in a Sentence
handle
How to use handle in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for handle.
Editorial note
Are we so timid and flammable that we can't handle a complex opinion that we don't agree with?
Examples5
Definitions7
Parts of speech2
Quick take
the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of handle gathered in one view.
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old"
interact in a certain way; "Do right by her"; "Treat him with caution, please"; "Handle the press reporters gently"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for handle.
noun
the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip"
verb
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old"
verb
interact in a certain way; "Do right by her"; "Treat him with caution, please"; "Handle the press reporters gently"
See also: treat
verb
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression; "This book deals with incest"; "The course covered all of Western Civilization"; "The new book treats the history of China"
verb
touch, lift, or hold with the hands; "Don't handle the merchandise"
See also: palm
verb
handle effectively; "The burglar wielded an axe"; "The young violinist didn't manage her bow very well"
verb
show and train; "The prize-winning poodle was handled by Mrs. Priscilla Prescott"
Example sentences
Are we so timid and flammable that we can't handle a complex opinion that we don't agree with?
At my employer, we receive countless abuse complaints and we handle every single one.
If you hit an error state, you need to either propagate that error up and handle it in the caller, or crash immediately.
Some documents generate a DOM >20,000 nodes deep, which is evidently too much to fit in typical C stacks, although Gumbo can handle them.
Aren't there already systems that are supposed to handle discrimination, in private, so that we don't have to witness it being discussed firsthand?
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use handle in a sentence?
Are we so timid and flammable that we can't handle a complex opinion that we don't agree with?
What does handle mean?
the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it; "he grabbed the hammer by the handle"; "it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip"
What part of speech is handle?
handle is commonly used as noun, verb.