English idiom

win hands down

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to win easily, without effort

Why this phrase?

A winning jockey can relax his hands on the reins before the finish line; the phrase pictures victory so easy the winner lowers his hands.

Example

“She won the debate hands down.”

Dictionary details

Component words

hand

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

force someone's hand

To pressure someone into acting, often sooner than they had planned.

hand in glove

working together in an extremely close and cooperative way

cap in hand

in a humble or pleading manner when asking someone for help or a favor

sleight of hand

clever and subtle trickery used to mislead people

a piece of cake

Something that is very easy to do.

smooth sailing

easy, uninterrupted progress without problems

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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