Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

handkerchief

[hang-ker-chif, -cheef] / ˈhæŋ kər tʃɪf, -ˌtʃif /
NOUN
personal cloth
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

His repeated attempts to flex expensive restaurant bills and hardman tough talk land like a waterlogged handkerchief after he’s spent song after song cataloging all the specific ways we’ve all hurt his feelings.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

And when the stormy morning after arrives, each peal of thunder sends Julia into a paroxysm of nerves that flings her around like a handkerchief caught in a stiff breeze.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

"He landed it on a handkerchief," says Aiken.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

Afterwards Nawat appeared at a press conference wearing a tuxedo and openly weeping as he theatrically dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief, claiming he had been "betrayed".

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025

She sniffed a ladylike sniff and quickly stuck her handkerchief into a pocket.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

The insider further revealed that the lovers spent 20 minutes exchanging their handwritten vows, and that they handed out custom handkerchiefs, embroidered with a “TT” and lyrics from Swift’s 2014 song “Blank Space.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026

The devil only occasionally played a part in ads for fashion products, such as perfumes, makeup and handkerchiefs.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

I ran through half a dozen handkerchiefs over the course of the proceedings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

Her history of Kleenex tissues is a tour de force: We learn that the Kimberly-Clark Corp., which owns Kleenex, played on the fear that reusable handkerchiefs were essentially wads of tuberculosis germs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

As we steamed into the harbor, passengers on ferryboats waved their hats & handkerchiefs at us.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman


Vocabulary lists containing handkerchief

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com