Illustration of backhand
- backhand 1a
back·hand
ˈbak-ˌhand 
1
a
: a stroke (as in tennis) made with the back of the hand turned in the direction of movement
also
: the side on which such strokes are made
b
: a catch (as in baseball) made to the side of the body opposite the hand being used
2
: handwriting whose strokes slant downward from left to right
: made with a backhand
a backhand tennis stroke
backhanded; backhanding; backhands
: to do, hit, or catch backhand
Examples of backhand in a Sentence
Noun
She has a good backhand but a weak forehand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2023
Advertisement On the final point of the match, Cheng, a junior, placed a serve to Prichard’s backhand.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023
Tennis lessons produced neither an overhead nor a backhand down the line.
—John McPhee, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Her backhand on the second match point sailed wide and Krejcikova had her second victory of the season and her first since Dubai in February.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
For some reason, a player with a great forehand or backhand is mesmerizing.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
But Kell noted that Robinson had not missed a ball hit to his backhand in six weeks of spring training.
—Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
His backhand stabs, diving catches and off-balance pegs foil the Reds and earn Robinson MVP honors.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
Starting the match with a series of high, looping ground strokes that targeted Muchova's backhand and helped negate the effectiveness of her slice, Gauff seemed to possess both calm and clarity about her gameplay.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022
Dalton, who has four game-winning goals this season, beat Quinnipiac goalie Logan Angers with a backhand shot 11:42, then Emma Seitz scores from point-blank range from in front of the right circle at 16:21.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2023
Later, a rolling backhand winner down the line got her to within a game of the victory.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2022
But Hovde finished strong, concluding with a beautiful backhand winner to take the first set in 31 minutes.
—Peter Warren, Dallas News, 9 July 2022
Keller beat Nico Hischier and scored a backhand goal 8:19 into the second to tie it 2-2 on another power-play goal.
—Matt Sugam, ajc, 13 Nov. 2022
After Williams struck a swinging backhand volley winner to take a 4-0 lead in the second set, her play improving with every passing moment, the reaction was earsplitting.
—Howard Fendrich, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2022
On Tuesday, Roope Hintz scored the tying goal before Jacob Peterson won it with a backhand slip between John Gibson’s legs.
—Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2022
Larkin had a backhand attempt early in the power play, but otherwise a unit of him, Bertuzzi, Raymond, Seider and David Perron were unable to create much.
—Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2022
Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2022
When one last backhand by Nadal found the net, Tiafoe put his hands on his head.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022
Swayman stopped 30 of 32 in his first outing since Dec. 9, fooled by a Boone Jenner backhand and overmatched by a Patrik Laine one-timer.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
Coco Gauff had used her range and speed to catch up to a shot by Zhang Shuai and return it with her bread-and-butter backhand late in the second set of their fourth-round match Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022
No tennis brand would be complete without a polo shirt and Ashe has several that, in place of Lacoste’s crocodile or Fred Perry’s wreath, are emblazoned with a silhouette of the player serving his signature backhand.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2022
But daughter Christy Childers says her mom still rules at table tennis with a killer backhand.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2022
Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Nov. 2023
His security then backhanded me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd.
—Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023
This is more than a rebellious move to dye her hair or get a tattoo; Regan MacNeil is cursing out a priest, backhanding her mother across the room and repeatedly defying gravity to hang out near the ceiling of her bedroom.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
The boy told police that Tuttle backhanded the child in the mouth, knocking him into a wall and causing his lip to bleed.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023
Read more Britney Spears claims Spurs player Victor Wembanyama's security guard ''backhanded me'' in Las Vegas.
—USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
When Spears approached the basketball player, the director of team security for the Spurs allegedly backhanded her.
—Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, 6 July 2023
Today’s Talker Britney Spears says she was ‘backhanded’... … by NBA player Victor Wembanyama’s security guard earlier this week at a hotel in Las Vegas.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 July 2023
Cue several videos of Eva hitting the ball forehand and backhand like a pro while a coach cheers her on.
—Korin Miller, Women's Health, 7 July 2023
See More
Noun
As a corner inserter, Rudy delivered a pair of precise feeds to Baldy who rocketed a pair of shots into the back of the net, one on her forehand and one on the backhand.
—Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2023
Advertisement On the final point of the match, Cheng, a junior, placed a serve to Prichard’s backhand.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023
Tennis lessons produced neither an overhead nor a backhand down the line.
—John McPhee, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Her backhand on the second match point sailed wide and Krejcikova had her second victory of the season and her first since Dubai in February.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023
For some reason, a player with a great forehand or backhand is mesmerizing.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023
But Kell noted that Robinson had not missed a ball hit to his backhand in six weeks of spring training.
—Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2023
His backhand stabs, diving catches and off-balance pegs foil the Reds and earn Robinson MVP honors.
—Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2023
Starting the match with a series of high, looping ground strokes that targeted Muchova's backhand and helped negate the effectiveness of her slice, Gauff seemed to possess both calm and clarity about her gameplay.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2023
Adjective
The Winterhawks don’t get back as a give-and-go between Korchinski and Schaefer in the neutral zone creates a 2-on-1, and Korchinski quickly makes a backhand feed to Crnkovic in front.
—Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022
Dalton, who has four game-winning goals this season, beat Quinnipiac goalie Logan Angers with a backhand shot 11:42, then Emma Seitz scores from point-blank range from in front of the right circle at 16:21.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2023
Later, a rolling backhand winner down the line got her to within a game of the victory.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2022
But Hovde finished strong, concluding with a beautiful backhand winner to take the first set in 31 minutes.
—Peter Warren, Dallas News, 9 July 2022
Keller beat Nico Hischier and scored a backhand goal 8:19 into the second to tie it 2-2 on another power-play goal.
—Matt Sugam, ajc, 13 Nov. 2022
After Williams struck a swinging backhand volley winner to take a 4-0 lead in the second set, her play improving with every passing moment, the reaction was earsplitting.
—Howard Fendrich, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2022
On Tuesday, Roope Hintz scored the tying goal before Jacob Peterson won it with a backhand slip between John Gibson’s legs.
—Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2022
Larkin had a backhand attempt early in the power play, but otherwise a unit of him, Bertuzzi, Raymond, Seider and David Perron were unable to create much.
—Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 8 Oct. 2022
Adverb
Radulov showed backhand before pulling it to his forehand and slipping the puck past Linus Ullmark.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2022
When one last backhand by Nadal found the net, Tiafoe put his hands on his head.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022
Swayman stopped 30 of 32 in his first outing since Dec. 9, fooled by a Boone Jenner backhand and overmatched by a Patrik Laine one-timer.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022
Coco Gauff had used her range and speed to catch up to a shot by Zhang Shuai and return it with her bread-and-butter backhand late in the second set of their fourth-round match Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022
No tennis brand would be complete without a polo shirt and Ashe has several that, in place of Lacoste’s crocodile or Fred Perry’s wreath, are emblazoned with a silhouette of the player serving his signature backhand.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2022
But daughter Christy Childers says her mom still rules at table tennis with a killer backhand.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2022
Verb
But beyond the accolades, the critical reception often included backhanded — sometimes bordering on misogynistic — disparagements of the protagonist.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Nov. 2023
His security then backhanded me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd.
—Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023
This is more than a rebellious move to dye her hair or get a tattoo; Regan MacNeil is cursing out a priest, backhanding her mother across the room and repeatedly defying gravity to hang out near the ceiling of her bedroom.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023
The boy told police that Tuttle backhanded the child in the mouth, knocking him into a wall and causing his lip to bleed.
—Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023
Read more Britney Spears claims Spurs player Victor Wembanyama's security guard ''backhanded me'' in Las Vegas.
—USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
When Spears approached the basketball player, the director of team security for the Spurs allegedly backhanded her.
—Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, 6 July 2023
Today’s Talker Britney Spears says she was ‘backhanded’... … by NBA player Victor Wembanyama’s security guard earlier this week at a hotel in Las Vegas.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 July 2023
Cue several videos of Eva hitting the ball forehand and backhand like a pro while a coach cheers her on.
—Korin Miller, Women's Health, 7 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backhand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near backhand
Cite this Entry
“Backhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhand. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
backhand
1 of 4 noun
back·hand
-ˌhand
1
a
: a stroke (as in tennis) made with the back of the hand turned in the direction of movement
b
: a catch made with the arm across the body and the palm turned away from the body
2
: handwriting in which the letters slant to the left
backhand
2 of 4 adjective
: using or made with a backhand
backhand
3 of 4 verb
: to do, hit, or catch with a backhand
backhand
4 of 4 adverb
variants
or backhanded
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd
: with a backhand
More from Merriam-Webster on backhand
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for backhand
Nglish: Translation of backhand for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about backhand
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