go hand in hand

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiom

   If two things go hand in hand, they are closely connected and tend to happen or exist together.

   Grammar: Intransitive idiom, usually followed by with: success goes hand in hand with hard work.

   Patterns

   • something goes hand in hand with something
   • two things go hand in hand

   Good sleep and good health often go hand in hand.

   Higher prices went hand in hand with poorer service.

   Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand.

2. 2phraseidiom

   To walk or move together while holding hands, as two people who are close.

   Grammar: Literal use; the subject is two people: the children went hand in hand.

   Patterns

   • go hand in hand to somewhere

   The couple went hand in hand along the beach.

   The two sisters went hand in hand into the school.

Word forms

Common combinations

go hand in hand with

Wealth does not always go hand in hand with happiness.

often go hand in hand

Poverty and poor health often go hand in hand.

naturally go hand in hand

Exercise and a healthy diet naturally go hand in hand.

seem to go hand in hand

Fame and pressure seem to go hand in hand.

Synonyms and how they differ

be linked

Be linked is plainer and does not imply the two things usually appear together the way go hand in hand does.

accompany

Accompany is more formal and takes a direct object, so you say that one thing accompanies another.

go together

Go together is more casual and can also mean matching, like colours or flavours, which go hand in hand does not.

Opposites

Word family

hand in hand adverb

holding hands, or closely together

hand noun

the body part at the end of the arm

hand-in-hand adjective

closely connected, used before a noun

Commonly confused: go hand in hand or hand in glove?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “go hand in hand”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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