hand over hand

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English

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Pronunciation

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Adverb

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hand over hand (not comparable)

  1. (nautical) by passing the hands alternately one before or above the other, especially with rope
  2. rapidly
    • 1824, Washington Irving, The Devil and Tom Walker:
      In this way he made money hand over hand; became a rich and mighty man, and exalted his cocked hat upon change.
    • 1890, William Dean Howells, A Hazard of New Fortunes, chapter 11:
      He was making money, hand over hand, then; and he never stopped speculating and improving till he'd scraped together three or four hundred thousand dollars

Synonyms

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