The phrase ‘hands down’ is an idiom that means easily, definitely; without question. Example: I ate chocolate lava cake for the first time and it was hands down the best dessert I’ve eaten. In other words, it was without a doubt the best.

What does it mean to hand something down?

1. phrasal verb. If you hand down something such as knowledge, a possession, or a skill, you give or leave it to people who belong to a younger generation.

Where does the phrase hands down the best come from?

“The phrase hands down comes from horse racing, as explained by The Phrase Finder : Jockeys need to keep a tight rein in order to encourage their horse to run. Anyone who is so far ahead that he can afford to slacken off and still win he can drop his hands and loosen the reins – hence winning ‘hands down’.