hand back

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle back

Meanings

1

Return something by giving it back

Why “back”? You go back to where you started.

He handed back the keys.
He returned the keys by giving them back.
She handed back the badge at reception.
She returned the badge by giving it back at reception.

Don't confuse with

hand backhand over

Hand back means return something by giving it back. Hand over means give something to someone, especially with formality.

hand backhand in

Hand back means return something by giving it back. Hand in means return found property to authorities.

Test yourself

He handed back the keys. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Practice “hand back” in Sink In

Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.