Meaning & use
handlebars
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“handlebars” is a form of “handlebar”.
Meanings
nounplural
The bar at the front of a bicycle or motorcycle that you hold and turn to steer.
Grammar: Used with a plural verb and plural determiners: 'the handlebars are bent'; the singular 'handlebar' names one side or a part.
Patterns
- hold the handlebars
- turn the handlebars
- grip the handlebars
She held the handlebars tightly as she went down the hill.
The handlebars on my old bike are rusty and need replacing.
He turned the handlebars too sharply and almost fell off.
nounsingular
A thick, curved mustache with long ends that turn upward, shaped like bicycle handlebars.
Grammar: Usually singular and used before 'mustache': 'a handlebar mustache'; the plural form is not used for this sense.
Patterns
- a handlebar mustache
- wear a handlebar mustache
The old photograph showed a man with a huge handlebar mustache.
He grew a handlebar mustache for the costume party.
Word forms
| singular | handlebar |
|---|---|
| plural | handlebars |
Common combinations
- hold the handlebars
- Hold the handlebars with both hands while you ride.
- turn the handlebars
- Turn the handlebars gently to avoid skidding.
- grip the handlebars
- He gripped the handlebars when the road got rough.
- handlebar tape
- I replaced the worn handlebar tape on my racing bike.
- handlebar mustache
- The actor wore a fake handlebar mustache.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bars
- Informal short form used by cyclists: 'get on the bars' means move your hands onto the handlebars.
- steering
- A general word for the part that controls direction; it is not the physical bar you hold, so it fits cars and boats better.
Word family
- handlebar noun
- Singular form, used especially before another noun: handlebar grip, handlebar bag.
Commonly confused: handlebars or handle?
handlebars vs handle
A handle is the part you hold to open a door or carry a bag; handlebars are the steering bar of a bike.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'The handlebars' is the usual plural form for the whole steering bar, so 'the handlebars' fits. 'A handlebars' is wrong because 'a' cannot go with a plural noun, and 'handlebars' without 'the' sounds incomplete here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “handlebars”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.