have something in hand vs have something to hand

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Have something in hand' is used to indicate that you physically possess something or have it available for immediate use. 'Have something to hand' is used to mean that something is readily available or easily accessible.

Last updated: March 23, 2024 • 1507 views

have something in hand

This phrase is correct and commonly used to indicate that you physically possess something or have it available for immediate use.

This phrase is used when you want to emphasize that you have something ready for use or action. It can refer to having a physical object in your possession or having a plan or solution prepared.

Examples:

I always make sure to have a backup plan in hand.
Do you have the report in hand for the meeting?
She had the keys in hand and was ready to leave.
Having the necessary tools in hand, he started the repair work.
It's important to have all the information in hand before making a decision.

Alternatives:

have something ready
have something available
have something prepared
have something at hand
have something on hand

have something to hand

This phrase is correct and commonly used to mean that something is readily available or easily accessible.

This phrase is used when you want to convey that something is within reach or easily obtainable. It can refer to having an object nearby or having access to information or resources.

Examples:

I always keep a pen to hand in case I need to write something down.
Do you have the documents to hand for the presentation?
She had the necessary tools to hand for the job.
Having the information to hand made the decision easier.
It's useful to have the contact details to hand in case of an emergency.

Show examples from the web [+]

If there's money to be had, I want to hand something to his next-of.
You were supposed to hand something to Paul, but he couldn't do it, so you handed it to me.
Sometimes I smoke just to give my hands something to do.
There's something to wrap your hands around other than your todger.
I need something to wipe my hand.
You'd have something in that hand and this hand you'd forget about.
When he hands me something to sign and it's about money and papers, I sign it.
May I have a towel or something to wipe my hands?
There's something about hand cuffs and a truncheon.
I'm going to teach you two a little something about hands-on parenting.
We've got something on hand now that's as much your business as ours.
So just calm down, do something with your hands.
There's something in her hand.
She has something in her hand.
You dropped something in her hand.
The doctor has something in his hands.
He always said you'd end up doing something with your hands.
You remember something about his hands?
I was thinking I would like to do something with my hands.
She said something about second-hand smoke, and then she doubled over.

Alternatives:

have something within reach
have something easily accessible
have something close by
have something nearby
have something at your fingertips

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

have something in hand vs have something to hand