to give something to each person in a group, usually by passing it to them one by one.
The teacher handed out the test papers to the students.
A: Can you help me hand out these flyers at the event? B: Sure, just give me a stack.
In my school, teachers often hand out worksheets at the beginning of each lesson to help us follow along.
Common mistake
✗She handed out us the papers.
✓She handed out the papers to us. / handed us the papers.
'Hand out' + the thing; the recipient takes 'to' ('hand them out to us').
Tell it apart
They handed out the leaflets.
distributed to a group
The referee handed out a red card.
imposed a penalty — sense
'Hand out' is a phrasal verb. Use it when you are giving things like papers, food, or items to several people.Do not confuse with 'hand in', which means to submit something.
to impose or deliver punishment, criticism, or other negative consequences, often in an official or authoritative way.
The coach was quick to hand out criticism after the team's disappointing performance.
A: Did you hear about the new policy at work? B: Yeah, management is really handing out warnings for even minor mistakes now.
Some argue that schools should not hand out harsh punishments for minor infractions, as this can damage students' motivation.
Common mistake
✗The referee handed out him a red card.
✓The referee handed him a red card. / handed out a red card.
When both the person and the thing appear, drop 'out' ('handed him a card') or keep it without the person ('handed out cards').
Tell it apart
The court handed out heavy fines.
imposed penalties
The teacher handed out the worksheets.
distributed items
'Hand out' in this sense is commonly used in news, legal, and formal contexts to refer to giving punishments, sentences, or criticism, not physical objects. It can sound critical or disapproving, especially when referring to excessive punishment or harsh criticism.Unlike the B1 sense of physically distributing objects, this sense is figurative and refers to giving out non-material things like punishment, criticism, or sentences.