hand over fist

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   Very quickly and in large amounts, used mostly about making or losing money.

   Grammar: Goes after a verb like make, lose or earn: lose money hand over fist.

   Patterns

   • make money hand over fist
   • lose something hand over fist

   The shop was making money hand over fist during the holiday rush.

   After the scandal, the airline lost customers hand over fist.

   Investors were pulling cash out of the fund hand over fist.

2. 2phraseidiomtechnical

   Moving steadily along a rope by gripping with one hand ahead of the other, as sailors do.

   Grammar: This is the original literal use and is now rare outside sailing.

   Patterns

   • climb hand over fist

   The sailor climbed the rope hand over fist to reach the mast.

   They hauled in the net hand over fist as the storm approached.

   She pulled herself up the line hand over fist.

Common combinations

make money hand over fist

The new app is making money hand over fist.

lose money hand over fist

The restaurant was losing money hand over fist and had to close.

earn hand over fist

Dealers earned hand over fist during the boom.

spend hand over fist

The council has been spending hand over fist on consultants.

gain ground hand over fist

The challenger was gaining ground hand over fist in the polls.

Synonyms and how they differ

rapidly

Rapidly is a plain adverb of speed, while hand over fist suggests big sums changing hands quickly.

by the bucketload

By the bucketload stresses sheer quantity, whereas hand over fist adds the feeling of a continuing flow.

in leaps and bounds

In leaps and bounds describes fast progress in general, while hand over fist is usually tied to money or numbers.

Opposites

Commonly confused: hand over fist or hand in hand?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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