empty-handed
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.
“Marty Supreme,” which was nominated for nine awards, went home empty-handed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
The Londoner went free and detectives left empty-handed.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Rising star Young did not leave empty-handed, picking up best breakthrough artist while Wolf Alice snagged group of the year.
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
The reprieve is short-lived: Voting begins on Feb. 26, when the brutal math of awards season will reassert itself, meaning roughly 80% of them will head home on Oscar night empty-handed.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
But at the end of it, Arturo came up empty-handed.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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