at the hands of

phrase

variants or less commonly at the hand of
: by or through the action of
suffering at the hands of a cruel dictator

Examples of at the hands of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While he was supposed to die at the hands of the state, California abolished the death penalty in 1972 — which resulted in his sentence being commuted to life in prison. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 Ruiz’s case was not the first high-profile killing of a Black man at the hands of a police officer in Madison. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 The murders of two Alaskan Native women, Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, at the hands of serial killer Brian Steven Smith, are centered in ID’s Lost Women of Alaska. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026 The eight-episode Season 2, which wrapped in August 2024, picked up immediately after the death of Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s son, at the hands of Aemond Targaryen. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at the hands of

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at the hands of was in 1581

Rhymes for at the hands of

See All Rhymes for at the hands of

Browse Nearby Words

at the first sign
at the hands of
at the head of
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“At the hands of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20hands%20of. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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