# hand off

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hand-off
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to give a task, responsibility, or an object to another person so they can take control of it. You use this when you finish your part of a job and let someone else do the next part.

For teachers: To transfer responsibility, a task, or a physical object to another person. Transitive; frequently employed in professional workflows or sports to denote a transition of control.

## Examples

- I need to hand off this report to my manager before I leave.
- After completing the initial design phase, the architect handed off the blueprints to the construction team to begin the build.
- The outgoing CEO meticulously handed off her strategic initiatives to the successor, ensuring a seamless transition that maintained investor confidence during the leadership change.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I handed off it to him." but "I handed it off to him." — When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- Usually followed by 'to' when mentioning the person receiving the task.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'hand over', which often implies a more formal or permanent transfer of authority, whereas 'hand off' is common in collaborative workflows.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.