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Glite Dictionary
to extend a hand

to extend a hand

5 2.9
To offer help or friendship by reaching out your hand to someone
  • idiom
  • Informal
: tiempo de ayudar
  • Would it hurt for companies to extend a hand to those in need?
  • extend a hand in friendship
  • extend a hand to help

Yeah, But the people who really extended a hand to me is people on the margins.

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Examples

  • But to them, I extend a hand of support and strength and ask them to remain committed to these investigations.

  • "I haven't introduced myself," I said, extending a hand to help her up from the log.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "Come," he said, when they separated, getting up and extending a hand to help her up.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • "My name's Dan," I say, extending a hand for her to shake.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • And the haves will always extend a hand to help the less fortunate.

    Blog text (32)

  • I want you to extend a hand, tell me how much you love me, pick me back up, brush me off and remind me of who I can become.

    Evan Carmichael

  • "Lou!" Paul said, coming directly toward Lou and extending a hand.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "You are healed," he whispered incredulously, extending a hand to help the battered boy get up.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Dumont shook his head, then extended a hand and helped Brynn clamber out of the yawl.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "Oh my gosh, are you OK?" he asks, extending a hand to help me up.

Synonyms

to give a hand
vsto extend a hand
707 1.8

To help someone with something or to clap to show appreciation

focuses more on offering support and friendship than on applause
to reach out
vsto extend a hand
338 2.7

To contact someone to offer help or support

is more physical and shows offering help or friendship
to lend a hand
vsto extend a hand
  • Informal
28 1.3

To help someone with a task

is more general and can include friendly support not only task help
to lend a helping hand
vsto extend a hand
  • Informal
6 2.7

To give someone support with a task or problem

is broader and also shows friendship and reaching out physically

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to withdraw
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

How Supportive

under someone's wing
  • Informal
1 4.2
to go out of one's way
  • Informal
53 3.5
to extend a hand
  • Informal
5 2.9
to lend a hand
  • Informal
28 1.3

Surface Forms

extend a hand infinitive
extended a hand past
extended a hand past participle
extending a hand present participle
extends a hand third person singular

Morphology

extend + a + hand

The meaning 'to offer help or friendship' is directly derivable from combining 'extend' (to offer or reach out) with 'hand' (assistance or the literal hand used in a helping gesture). This composition is a common, cross-linguistic metaphor (e.g., 'tendre la main', 'tender la mano') and follows standard English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely infer the idiomatic meaning.

Etymology

Extend a hand may come from the simple image of reaching out your arm to help someone up or to greet them. To extend means to put something out and a hand is what you use to help, so extend a hand now means 'to offer help, friendship, or support'.