Meaning of handle in English:

handle

Pronunciation /ˈhand(ə)l/

See synonyms for handle

Translate handle into Spanish

verb

[with object]

1Feel or manipulate with the hands.
‘heavy paving slabs can be difficult to handle’
- ‘people who handle food’
- ‘The body itself can be handled and manipulated as though lacking in the capacity for self-propulsion.’
- ‘It's foods that have been handled by the modern food technologists.’
- ‘While the meal does not have to be eaten in its entirety, the food itself should be handled and treated with respect, since it represents the finest that the hosts can provide.’
- ‘Because of developments in modern food business, a food product today may be handled by several different companies in numerous premises.’
- ‘The dishes for the food should be clean and handled by the server in such a way that no hands touch them before yours.’
- ‘And although after those four hours everything had been handled, carried and put down six times at least, the room was only marginally cleaner.’
- ‘Then in time, there's the same child handling the same duck like a pussycat!’
- ‘I thought that maybe I had rubbed my eyes without washing my hands after handling something dirty and had infected them or something because they were itching and watering like crazy.’
- ‘If they are handling money an employer needs to know they can cope with the temptation.’
- ‘The pages were a beige color from aging and the black cover surrounding it was very soft as though it was handled a great deal.’
- ‘The judge said he was the ‘last person in the world,’ who should be handling other people's money.’
- ‘Most of the persons handling such contraptions are not properly trained or qualified to deal with emergencies.’
- ‘This includes handling weapons and in the higher ranks dealing with risk management and small aircraft operation.’
- ‘I even heard the supervisors talking about it.… we are committed to handling and processing chickens as humanely as possible.’
- ‘Employees must wear gloves whenever they obtain, handle, or process patient specimens.’
- ‘They are supposedly the people who know how to handle money.’
- ‘Use of powder-free latex gloves with low protein content was recommended when handling infectious materials.’
- ‘To protect your hands, always wear heavy work gloves when handling tackless strips.’
- ‘And since he was the last person who handled the prize money before sending it to the bank, the cufflinks must have snagged and dropped into the money.’
- ‘So they're rushing in trying to vaccinate their chicken flocks, and they're also trying to get some Tamiflu, which is a drug for people who might be handling them.’
hold, pick up, grasp, grip, lift
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1. 1.1(chiefly in soccer) touch (the ball) with the hand or lower arm in contravention of the rules.
  ‘he was sent off in the 84th minute for handling the ball’
  ‘the first penalty came as Brown handled’
  ‘Kuyt restored Feyenoord's lead from the penalty spot in the final minute of the first half after Ian Pearce had handled the ball.’
  ‘Budinaukas was red carded in 25 minutes after handling the ball outside the penalty area.’
  ‘Nothing comes of it but as Portugal attempt to counter, Angelos Basinas handles the ball and is shown a yellow card for it.’
  ‘He argues that because goalkeepers can handle the ball in the penalty area, they therefore should not be allowed to kick the ball outside of it.’
  ‘Mellberg handles the ball and gets a yellow card for his troubles.’
2Manage (a situation or problem)
‘a lawyer's ability to handle a case properly’
- ‘Both local and international human rights groups have criticized the handling of his trials as unfair, with Amnesty International labeling Anwar a political prisoner.’
- ‘You will find that, on most ships, the staff is well accustomed to handling crowds and is skilled at moving passengers with dispatch and courtesy.’
- ‘Some critics of the president's handling of Iraq are expressing deep concern the mission there is turning into a situation similar to what happened during the Vietnam War.’
- ‘Well, Lou, in the wake of the president's speech last night, Democrats have actually stepped up their criticism of the president and his handling of postwar Iraq.’
- ‘And with 12 executions scheduled in Texas before Election Day, Bush's handling of the issue will no doubt stay in the media spotlight.’
- ‘It has spent millions of dollars on ads criticizing the administration's handling of a number of issues.’
- ‘The group has already filed two lawsuits against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in connection with the agency's handling of the Heartland project.’
- ‘On his overall performance, I'd have to be quite critical, but I'm more favorable about his handling of the war on terror.’
- ‘Mr. Baldassare said this attitude had been building for several years, starting with the state's energy crisis and the administration's handling of it.’
- ‘The anguish among New York Times staffers over the paper's handling of the Judith Miller saga has mounted in recent days, much to the consternation of its top executives.’
- ‘But the Air Force didn't earn points for its handling of the problem - which apparently, they knew about years before the matter broke in the press.’
- ‘It doesn't matter whether their poor credit ratings result from the poor handling of their accounts or from predatory lending practices that trapped them in a mountain of debt.’
- ‘Radio Blogger has the transcripts of Hugh Hewitt's debates with two law professors about the adequacy of the federal courts' handling of the Terri Schiavo case.’
- ‘The way that this bill has been handled and is being pushed through the House gives the strongest argument yet for privatising accident compensation.’
- ‘It had put the family under a lot of pressure and the sensational way in which the matter was being handled was making life very difficult for all of them.’
- ‘The stage crew handled the difficult and complex changes very well and the very competent front of house staff helped to make a wonderful evening.’
- ‘Now, God willing, we are ready again to roll up our sleeves to handle the many difficult problems that have long awaited us.’
- ‘He paid tribute to his officers, the Crown Prosecution Service and their barristers for the way they had handled a ‘very sensitive and difficult investigation’.’
- ‘‘Ours is a very difficult job which has to be handled with sensitivity,’ he said.’
- ‘He is at his best when the situation is becoming difficult - he handles Matt's escalating desperation with ease.’
- ‘If it had been handled this way the whole thing might never have pushed itself over the average Philip Adams listener's threshold of consciousness.’
- ‘The whole immigration issue ranging from the arrival of boat people and the level of support we supply refugees needs to be handled entirely differently.’
- ‘Some Americans are afraid the next disaster might be handled as badly as the last one and they're stocking up for survival.’
- ‘What's important is how you handle this difficult and delicate task - not just for the people you let go, but for the people who remain.’
- ‘Any known health risks to New Zealanders are handled by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and by the setting of food standards between New Zealand and Australia.’
- ‘We have Bishop Dumeni and Bishop Kameeta, two religious leaders with experience who are capable of handling a delicate and sensitive exercise like a truth commission.’
- ‘Let's talk about the way the White House is handling this.’
- ‘At the moment, the controversy is being badly handled.’
- ‘The remaining part of the cultural extravaganza was handled with a great deal of competitive spirit.’
administer, manage, control, conduct, direct, guide, supervise, oversee, be in charge of, take care of, look after
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1. 2.1Have commercial responsibility for.
  ‘the advertising company that is handling the account’
  ‘You wouldn't think twice about hiring an accountant to handle the books.’
  ‘I hired a local furniture guy who handles all of the hiring and personnel issues in Baghdad, where I have about 15 local employees.’
  ‘McGonigle, who has moved from DDFH & B, where he handled the Baileys account, is to oversee a recruitment drive at the company.’
  ‘Those operations have been handled at the insurer's Deerwood Park campus and its downtown Riverside Office Complex.’
  ‘Construction will be completed by next September and Christies Commercial is handling the letting of the retail units.’
  ‘Here at home, Western Australia's grain handling group CBH believes the state is on target for a winter crop of 12 million tonnes, down two million on last season.’
  ‘Had he checked his facts, he would have been able to report that Wilkinson has been handling Pentagon PR for several years, at least since 2001 in Afghanistan.’
  ‘‘This is going to be a Canada-wide CD launch, and we're handling the Montreal one,’ says Kopra.’
  ‘Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of the Ocean Futures Society, which is handling Keiko, joins us now to talk about that.’
  ‘These five were among the main dealers handling Van Gogh in the early years.’
  ‘Oliver Morgan on Jay Garner, the hawkish head of the Pentagon agency that will be handling lucrative reconstruction deals.’
  ‘The mystery is compounded further by the fact Leigh football director Steve Grainey, who handles transfer deals, is on holiday in Spain this week and unavailable for comment.’
  ‘His promoter Frank Warren thought he had a deal to handle Hatton's first defence of his IBF title and the next two fights after that.’
  ‘The bank itself was decorative and elegant, giving its customers a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that equally rich people were handling their money.’
  ‘As the name suggests, the housing bank deals in houses in a similar way to which banks handle money.’
  ‘He is banned by the Law Society from handling money and carrying out property deals.’
  ‘In particular, people who handle money or budgets in their working lives feel that they ‘deserve a break’ from that.’
  ‘Apart from handling weighty matters of state, Jawaharlal had to deal with issues of domestic politics.’
  ‘At the time of her arrest, she formed part of a corporate finance team handling billions of pounds' worth of deals.’
  ‘The administrative assistant to the president handled human resource functions.’
  administer, manage, control, conduct, direct, guide, supervise, oversee, be in charge of, take care of, look after
  View synonyms
2. 2.2Receive or deal in (stolen goods)
  ‘he admitted handling the stolen chequebook’
  ‘He denies committing three of the burglaries, but admits handling goods stolen in the same house raids.’
  ‘The judge at Bolton Crown Court, heard how he had a string of convictions for burglary, shoplifting and handling stolen goods dating back 14 years.’
  ‘The youngsters, all under 16, have received a caution for handling stolen goods and have been released.’
  ‘Those arrested are being questioned on suspicion of drug dealing, handling stolen goods and possessing illegal weapons.’
  ‘Once the course of the stealing is over a thief may be guilty of handling the goods he has stolen, for example, by helping a receiver of the goods to move them or dispose of them.’
  ‘More than 50 per cent of arrests led to successful convictions for robbery, burglary, handling stolen goods and possessing or dealing in drugs.’
  ‘He also pleaded guilty to theft and his brother admitted handling stolen goods.’
  ‘The man, who admitted handling stolen goods, was given a 75-hour community punishment order, and ordered to pay £120 court costs.’
  ‘In October 2002, she admitted handling stolen goods and was handed a three-month action plan, a bid to curb her criminal behaviour.’
  ‘He has admitted handling stolen goods on May 25 last year.’
  ‘The co-defendant admitted handling stolen goods.’
  ‘He also admitted handling stolen goods in relation to a separate incident.’
  ‘He also admitted handling a coat stolen from Chelmsford Grammar School a few days later.’
  ‘The girlfriend, also from the west part of York, pleaded guilty to two offences each of deception, handling stolen goods and shoplifting and one of breaching a conditional discharge.’
  ‘Both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and handling stolen goods on the day of their trial.’
  ‘The accused, who had an exemplary Army record, pleaded guilty conspiracy to handle stolen goods.’
  ‘So far, eight have been arrested for offences such as conspiracy, handling stolen goods, possession or supply of drugs and driving without insurance.’
  ‘A number of other convictions were for offences of dishonesty, including one for which he received a 4 month prison sentence for handling stolen goods.’
  ‘However, it is the possibility of charges under s. 22 of the Theft Act 1968 for handling stolen goods that will provoke the most argument.’
  ‘Three men and one woman were arrested for suspected crimes ranging from handling stolen goods to drug possession and owning the illegal weapon.’
  trade in, deal in, do business in, buy, sell, supply, stock, carry, peddle, traffic in, purvey, hawk, tout, market
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3. 2.3informal Cope or deal with (someone or something)
  ‘I don't think I could handle it if they turned me down’
  ‘You have to deal with it, handle it, cope with it.’
  ‘My mother is not the sort of person who handles interpersonal interactions well, she finds them stressful and tends to burn her bridges too easily when she gets fed up with people.’
  ‘Through a divorce and the death of my father I wasn't able to handle things like I did before.’
  ‘Presumably this is because there was so little information on coping with disasters that people found it hard to handle the solemn events.’
  ‘Under his tough tutelage, moreover, I learnt a good deal about how to handle the world.’
  ‘Hard drugs inevitably become Georgie's coping device to handle these racial adjustments.’
  ‘Problems are no big deal if you handle them the right way.’
  ‘The other test will be how he handles renegades such as John Carew and copes with the vacancies caused by the departure of the old guard.’
  ‘For a while I wondered why I had insomnia and then I remembered this thing I've been pretending isn't such a big deal is a big deal and I'm not handling it very well.’
  ‘There will be annual training programmes for children on personal safety and for staff on handling the issue.’
  ‘She handles things with a great deal of grace - and is probably dressed like royalty to boot.’
  ‘They answered doors, took coats, served drinks, kept the food looking nice, and handled our guest's various needs with aplomb.’
  ‘Mr Rahael has fared better to date than several of his predecessors at handling the Health Ministry, one of the most difficult and certainly most crisis-prone ministries.’
  ‘No heavy-handed security asking the crowd to push back, make way - everything was handled with awesome expertise and finesse.’
  ‘While Cooper says he understands the criticisms of Khalifa, he also believes that she's capable of handling the serious overhaul the department needs.’
  ‘She has not been handling this particularly well.’
  ‘As you can see, I am handling this exceptionally well.’
  ‘They are credited with handling this extremely well.’
  ‘I asked him how his family was handling all of this.’
  ‘Throughout the broadcast of the game, the commentators kept praising McNabb for handling the Limbaugh controversy with so much class.’
  deal with, manage, cope with, tackle, take care of, take forward, take charge of, contend with, attend to, give one's attention to, see to, sort out, apply oneself to, take something in hand, control
  View synonyms
4. 2.4handle oneselfwith adverbial Conduct oneself in a specified manner.
  ‘he handled himself with considerable aplomb’
  ‘But my concern and my criticism is leveled at my colleague and friend because of the way he's conducted himself, for handling himself subsequent to this young lady's disappearance.’
  ‘The ladies all handled themselves in a professional manner, as shown by the positive and informative worldwide media coverage our pageant received.’
  ‘The manner in which he handled himself at Old Trafford when things were not going well won him some hard-earned respect.’
  ‘It's taught me to handle myself in a professional manner when under pressure, in situations which once would have freaked me out.’
  ‘Aside from one transgression last summer, he has handled himself in a manner that has made him a role model for many people.’
  ‘Trade and motorsports shows and similar events offer great opportunities to sell your sponsorship if you handle yourself in a professional manner.’
  ‘Make sure you handle yourself in a manner that doesn't allow yourself to be taken advantage of in any way, especially with wine flowing freely all night long.’
  ‘And I believe he's handled himself in this situation in the best possible manner.’
  ‘So far he's handled himself in a very dignified and professional manner.’
  ‘People might do well to also compare Monty's antics with the manner in which Des Smyth handled himself.’
  ‘Watch how he handles himself, and try to model yourself on his conduct.’
  ‘I think he handled himself in a very dignified manner throughout that time.’
  ‘If she doesn't handle herself correctly she will forego any chance of holding a national office in the future.’
  ‘It strikes me as an unprofessional way to handle oneself.’
  ‘It is good to see a entertainer handle oneself appropriately.’
  ‘But are they handling themselves in such as way as to break down any of those barriers?’
  ‘I don't mean to say that he's a child or anything, but the way he carries and handles himself is very childlike.’
  ‘And I think that a new president can establish himself clearly and firmly, and this closeness of the election and the contention around it is not going to handicap him if he handles himself right.’
  ‘Collins, instead, handles himself with assurance, has unshakeable conviction in his own abilities and isn't short of an opinion or two that might put noses out of joint.’
5. 2.5handle oneselfinformal Defend oneself physically or verbally.
  ‘I can handle myself in a fight’
  ‘‘There is not one guy on that team physically incapable of handling himself with anyone in the league,’ Roenick told reporters after signing with the Flyers.’
  ‘When I first started I was afraid of getting hurt, but I learned I can handle myself in physically demanding situations.’
  ‘The teams the Reivers have met in Wales are physically very hard, and the way he has handled himself against those tough Welsh props has really impressed us all.’
  ‘I could balance a checkbook, change a tire, cook gourmet meals, and defend myself from attackers, but I couldn't handle myself at a high school party.’
  ‘In my physical relationships I have a very set way of handling myself.’
  ‘The counter-argument to the ‘US Opens are boring’ mantra is that this sort of ‘golf’ is all about handling yourself mentally, staying patient, waiting for your chance.’
  ‘The courses are also designed to look at dress sense and co-ordination - how to use colour and wear accessories - and give tips on handling yourself in tricky social situations.’
  ‘The sense of survivor's relief was compounded with a certain pride. We, the unsurprisable, were surprised at how well we were handling ourselves.’
  ‘Since that day Crossgar have produced a priceless team player and an influential vice-captain, a player quite capable of handling himself and at the same time frightening the life out of opponents.’
  ‘He has never looked a man capable of handling himself in a fight, which is precisely what Rangers have on their hands while Martin O'Neill is at Celtic.’
  ‘When audiences first see her, for instance, she is in prison, while, by the end of the film, she has emerged as a gutsy warrior queen, who is more than capable of handling herself on the battlefield.’
  ‘He handles himself well in ad-libbed press conferences and so forth, and the things he does about foreign policy can be impressive in many quarters.’
  ‘Let's see how he handles himself here, not that we're any great test.’
  ‘By contrast, Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton handles himself surprisingly well.’
  ‘He may lack the step of Robinson or the physicality of Josh Lewsey but he has an eye for the gap and most importantly, he handles himself under pressure.’
  ‘Whoever handles himself the best over the weekend wins an all-expenses-paid trip to the Caribbean.’
  ‘Built like a small country, but nimble with it, he handles himself well in the action man stakes.’
  ‘The fight-scene, probably co-ordinated by Mr. Snipes, is very well done and Jessica handles herself without any problems at all.’
  ‘They should be proud of the way they handled themselves.’
  ‘Still, Owenmore Gaels can well be proud of the way they handled themselves against a side that were, all-around, bigger, faster and stronger.’
3Drive or control (a vehicle)
‘he was going too fast and couldn't handle the car’
- ‘Last month he was jailed for six months for handling the car, driving a high performance vehicle without the proper licence, and having no insurance.’
- ‘The engine hummed to itself sweetly as she slid the unmarked patrol car into the flow of traffic, handling the vehicle with her usual style.’
- ‘From there you've got to learn to handle your ship and get to grips with the most difficult part - docking with the space station.’
- ‘He's learned how to handle the Indy cars, which are heavier and more powerful than anything he's run before.’
- ‘Two weeks later, York youth justices banned the youth from driving for a year after he admitted handling a second car and other vehicle offences.’
- ‘Judge Charles Bloom QC said he took into account Atkinson's previous good character and the fact that he had not gained financially from handling the vehicles.’
- ‘We want to get an indication of how the driver was handling the vehicle.’
- ‘Known for its bare looks, tough build and raw power, it took a strong man to handle the vehicle even on smooth tarmac.’
- ‘He said he had rarely seen anyone as drunk and he did not know how the defendant could handle the vehicle.’
- ‘It is part of the Bike Safe campaign which has been run by the county since 1997 and encourages riders to make an effort to learn to handle their bikes properly.’
- ‘Drivers must take extra care in handling their vehicles, an intensive reponsability when it is raining.’
- ‘Only one vehicle was found with one loose bolt and no one could say for sure that it was a vehicle handled by the Plaintiff.’
- ‘The delivery vehicle is handled by friendly and well-trained persons.’
- ‘Jane Mulkerrins joins an army driving course to learn how to handle the biggest military beasts in the battle zone.’
- ‘Far from being a mere passenger, Hattie kept the ship's weather logs, learned celestial navigation and even handled the vessel on some occasions.’
- ‘My rep advised me to check controllability to see if I could handle the aircraft in the landing configuration.’
- ‘In 1755 he joined the Royal Navy, and within two years passed his master's examination to qualify for the navigation and handling of a royal ship.’
- ‘It is doubtful whether it would have made any difference in the face of greatly superior British ship handling and gunnery.’
- ‘Bowles' handling of the ship made the view eastward visible.’
- ‘Its lack of depth makes it more difficult each year to handle the newer, larger and deeper vessels plying the southern African route.’
control, drive, steer, operate, manoeuvre, manipulate
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1. 3.1no object, with adverbial (of a vehicle) respond in a specified manner when being driven or controlled.
  ‘the new model does not handle nearly so well’
  ‘And as for oversteer, the car handles like a dream - when the rear steps out it takes just a dab of steering or throttle to keep it there or rein it back in.’
  ‘These efforts would seem to have been rewarded, as the vehicles handle in the manner you would expect from their respective appearances.’
  ‘Most vehicles handle nearly identical with slight variations in acceleration and top speed.’
  ‘The gearstick motions are short and quiet and the car handles with a surprisingly taut sporty slickness, putting one over on its more timid rivals, such as the Ford Fiesta and the Vauxhall Corsa.’
  ‘Yet the car handles well enough, despite some rather comfy suspension.’
  ‘The suspension was a little bouncy for my liking but in general the car handled well, taking corners with ease.’
  ‘And the car handled beautifully even on the rain-slicked and sometimes rough mountain roads I was driving.’
  ‘You have to manhandle the nose into the apex, so when you kiss it perfectly, and you will, because this car handles like a dream, you feel like it was all down to you.’
  ‘The car does handle extremely well, however the steering lacks proper feel.’
  ‘For sure if we have more power and more downforce the car handles better and it uses the tyres better.’
  ‘Overall, ships handle fast and furious and the level of control is consistently tight and responsive.’
  ‘The other major benefit is found in the vehicle's handling, which has much less sway when cornering than found in some of its direct competitors with more conventional engine mountings.’
  ‘A kind of baptism by fire - in a watery way - it increases your awareness of how well the car handles and how comfortable you feel behind the wheel.’
  ‘Each vehicle handles differently and I found that some just didn't cut the mustard.’
  ‘The steering wheel was in the rear, but the airplane handled so gently during transitions from ground to sky and back that pilots hardly knew they were flying a tailwheel.’
  ‘Many boy racers believe that over-inflating the front tyres will sharpen a car's handling, which may, in some models, make the steering feel more responsive.’
  ‘The car didn't handle well in traffic and, as a consequence, Kahne was a non-factor for most of 2005.’
  ‘Measurements were also taken of how the aircraft handles so the data can be used for the operational flight trainer.’
  ‘So, speed isn't its thing, but for a vehicle that looks like an SUV, it handles pretty well.’
  ‘‘Overall, I'm really impressed with how these little trucks handle,’ said Blaney.’

noun

1The part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled.
‘a holdall with two carrying handles’
- ‘After being told they would not be permitted into the event ‘with sticks’, several members ripped their signs off the handles and carried them in by hand.’
- ‘The order stipulates that this includes carrying a pickaxe handle.’
- ‘One of the robbers was carrying a pickaxe handle and the other a lumphammer.’
- ‘Next time you should try the tray with handles or carry them one at a time’.’
- ‘Six toga-clad brothers, using a large block of wood with makeshift handles, then carried Jason and Dennis on their backs onto the stage.’
- ‘Forget the basic shoulder strap to supplement the hand carrying handles.’
- ‘The top slab has handles to carry the system about; the bottom stands on four wheels of a special design.’
- ‘There are even two large carry handles on the top if you want to pick the whole unit up.’
- ‘On a visit to a Paris flea market with the sculptor, Breton lit on a curious wooden spoon with a little boot carved under its handle and carried it off.’
- ‘A real man, I used to say, no matter how sickly or incapacitated, should pick up a case by its handle and carry it like a man.’
- ‘Justin grinned, staring out into space, his hands still gripping tightly onto the handles of the controls.’
- ‘Chrome is also used on other surfaces, ranging from the shifter ring to the door handles to the control knobs.’
- ‘I'll grip down on the handle slightly for more control, then keep my finish very low.’
- ‘We liked some of the extras, such as the temperature LED and carry handle.’
- ‘Mr. Zak left the same way with Mr. Sivapragasam assisting him by carrying one handle of the duffle bag in question.’
- ‘I tensely grasped the smooth control handles in both of my sides.’
- ‘Also, the short handles give children more control when applying the frosting.’
- ‘The pumps are fitted with a volume control on the handle, allowing more discerning motorists to turn down the sound.’
- ‘The utterly charming Mr Vass who runs the shop has a terrific range of door knobs, handles and basically everything you could ever need in brass and general ironmongery.’
haft, shank, stock, shaft, grip, handgrip, hilt, helve, butt
View synonyms
1. 1.1a handle onA means of understanding, controlling, or approaching (a person or situation)
  ‘this analogy will help readers to get a handle on the concept’
  ‘So no new troops yet requested to be sent to Iraq, but the United States is going to hold on to some of the troops that are there until they get a handle on this situation.’
  ‘We are still trying to get a handle on the situation, Mr Kirrane said.’
  ‘I've been talking to a lot of senators and staffers after the Senate hearing, trying to get a handle on the political situation.’
  ‘However, he conceded that the Government was yet to get a handle on the situation, as younger offenders were getting their hands on illegal guns.’
  ‘The sheer amount of mayhem on screen at once does cause a few minor moments of slowdown, but if anything, it lets you get a handle on the situation.’
  ‘So far, dozens of homes have been destroyed and firefighters are desperately trying to work to get a handle on this situation.’
  ‘It takes him a few days to get a handle on situations.’
  ‘It shows excellent research on his part and flawless writing so everyone can get a handle on the situation.’
  ‘But if we don't soon get a handle on this critical issue it may be too late, for the planet and for ourselves.’
  ‘If you're wanting to be able to get a handle on dual stick control, it might be an idea to check out one of the console ports of Serious Sam.’
  ‘Aid came into the country, and the economy has been growing, and the people were able to start to get a handle on the land mine situation.’
  ‘Because both Perl and XML are so flexible, it's hard to get a handle on exactly how to approach the problem.’
  ‘But the jury is still out on whether Wausau and the other companies really can get a handle on costs with the new approach.’
  ‘Well, there are so many different polls that we've looked at trying to get a handle on what are the issues that are really going to drive the election.’
  ‘They need to get a handle on a really dysfunctional economic system and on law-and-order issues which are out of control.’
  ‘If we don't get a handle on that, all those other issues are going to be lost.’
  ‘I'd like to spend the next session trying to get a handle on some of the emotional issues which led to her feeling of being overwhelmed.’
  ‘I just don't understand why we cannot get a handle on the simple reasons why it's sometimes difficult to sleep.’
  ‘What I want to do first is get a handle on the statistics for all U.S. multinationals together, and those data are actually pretty clear.’
  ‘I was a little depressed for a while, and I may be still somewhat depressed about the one thing that we can't seem to get a handle on and that's war.’
2informal A name or nickname.
- ‘that's some handle for a baby’
- ‘a former Washington DJ whose handle was ‘Fat Daddy’’
- ‘Everyone had handles, club names given and cherished in the rush of the moment.’
- ‘Members of the Syndicate must acknowledge the work of their individual members by their personal names or by handles.’
- ‘Palace Brothers, Palace Music, Palace Songs, plain old Palace and even, briefly, his given name, have served as his recording handle.’
- ‘Two years later came the name change to the current handle, a change in line-up, and an eponymous nine-track album.’
- ‘My dad always had vanity plates on his car with the handle "Poo" on them.’
- ‘He points out that at his previous club his handle was The Snake.’
- ‘St Thomas was hardly a "dumb ox" despite his handle.’
- ‘In the summer of 2002, a security consultant whose handle is "Whurley" was hired by a resort group in Las Vegas to perform security audits.’
- ‘The DJ's handle is Rowdy Yates, same as Clint Eastwood's character in Rawhide.’
- ‘He took his DJ handle from an 1980s video game.’
name, title, term, designation, epithet, label, tag, style, sobriquet, nickname, byname
View synonyms
1. 2.1A person’s username on an online forum or social media site.
  ‘she's changed her Twitter handle’
  ‘The problem with screen names or handles deserves some amplification.’
  ‘You don't have to use your real name - handles are fine - nor do you have to supply an email address.’
  ‘Handles are fine and we'll be delighted to have you as a part of our young but growing discussion community.’
  ‘I do not know all their names, as they usually log in with a handle.’
  ‘Use a handle or nickname if you must but keep to the same one, it gets silly otherwise.’
  ‘Tha Geek noticed I can't read either when I got his handle wrong on another post.’
  ‘Wolf typed in his handle, and his password.’
  ‘She found him on an Internet dating service under his handle, "nationreader."’
  ‘Benny - that's his handle, not his real name - is most famous for having written a virus that infected Windows 2000 two weeks before Windows 2000 was released.’
  ‘Top of the wanted list was an individual identified only by the handle Worker Bee.’
3in singular The feel of goods, especially textiles, when handled.
‘fabrics with a softer handle’
- ‘Bio polymers can be manufactured into biodegradable clear or opaque plastic and textile fibres which create fabric with the handle of silk or linen.’
- ‘This study was carried out to compare the handle of silk fabrics degummed with Alkalase, Protease produced by bacteria, with of silkfabrics degummed with the soap soda.’
- ‘The handle of cotton becomes hard and rigid.’
- ‘Especially in the textile field, chitosan has been used to improve dyeability, soil release properties, and the handle of cotton.’
- ‘Miracle Fix liquid is a thin milky fluid that dries clear and was originally made to improve the handle of cotton fabrics.’
4US informal in singular The total amount of money bet over a particular time or at a particular event.
- ‘the monthly handle of a couple of casinos in Las Vegas’
- ‘Saratoga leads all North American tracks in average attendance, on-track wagering, and total handle.’
- ‘The total handle of $43,594,840 was up from last year's Travers weekend a year ago.’
- ‘The one game where the handle was disappointing was the game with Argentina.’
- ‘Through the first two-thirds of the Del Mar meeting, attendance and total handle have shown a slight increase from last year.’
- ‘Track officials estimated the cancellation cost about $2-million in total handle.’
- ‘Purses, starters per race, and total handle have all increased.’
- ‘Saratoga reports increase in total handle, but a slight decline in attendance.’
- ‘Lone Star Park concluded its ninth Thoroughbred meeting on Sunday with declines in attendance and total handle.’
- ‘For the first time in at least four seasons, total handle declined at Woodbine during its Thoroughbred meet.’
- ‘Clearly, it's because the track wants to offer the fans as many ways to wager as possible, to create the largest possible handle.’
- ‘During wagering on Wednesday and Thursday at Santa Anita, the pick six handle total was larger than it had been on the same days last year.’
- ‘Arizona horse and dog racing tracks posted a five-year low in handle and revenue during the fiscal year that ended on June 30.’
- ‘We still have a challenge in front of us to create better mutuel handle and attendance, but we look forward to racing in 2001.’
- ‘That same trend also is apparent in off-track betting handle.’
- ‘The track saw an attendance increase and a double-digit mutuel handle decrease.’
5US A large bottle in which spirits are sold, typically holding a half gallon.
- ‘a handle of Jim Beam’