English idiom

change hands

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to pass from one owner to another

Why this phrase?

Ownership is pictured as an object moving from one person's hands into another's.

Example

“The old theater changed hands twice before it reopened.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

shift gears

to change your approach, activity, or pace

do the job

to be good enough to achieve the desired result

every which way

in every direction, often in a scattered or disorderly way

go downhill

to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance

go with the flow

To adjust calmly to circumstances or prevailing behavior instead of resisting them.

sell like hot cakes

to be bought rapidly and in great numbers because many people want it

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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