Idiom
Hands down
Hands down means easily and without question, as in winning hands down or something being hands down the best.
How people use it
There are two common uses. After a verb like win or beat, it means with very little effort: Our team won hands down. Before an adjective or noun, it means clearly or without doubt: This is hands down the best soup I have ever made. It is informal and often used in reviews, sports talk and everyday conversation. Do not confuse it with put your hands down, which is a literal instruction. Before a noun it is often hyphenated: a hands-down favorite.
Also said: win hands down.
Examples
- Maya won the chess tournament hands down, losing only one game all week.
- This is hands down the best hiking trail in the state.
- When it comes to fixing bikes, Leo beats the rest of us hands down.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from horse racing in the 1800s. A jockey who was far ahead near the finish could relax his grip on the reins and let his hands drop, instead of urging the horse on. Winning hands down meant winning so easily that no effort was needed at the end. The sense of clearly or undoubtedly grew from that.
Check yourself
1. What does "This pizza place is hands down the best in town" mean?
Answer: It is clearly the best. Hands down here means without any doubt.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: The new runner won the race hands down.. Winning hands down means winning easily, which fits a race.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in HANDS.