backhand

noun

back·hand | \ˈbak-ˌhand

Definition of backhand

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : 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

backhand

adjective

Definition of backhand (Entry 2 of 4)

: made with a backhand a backhand tennis stroke

backhand

adverb

back·hand | \ˈbak-ˌhand

variants: or backhanded \ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd

Definition of backhand (Entry 3 of 4)

: with a backhand

backhand

verb

backhanded; backhanding; backhands

Definition of backhand (Entry 4 of 4)

transitive verb

: 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: Noun

The second baseman made a backhand flip to Bogaerts covering second for a forceout, and Bogaerts threw to first, where Hernandez signaled out for a double play . — Ronald Blum, The Seattle Times, "Hernandez reversed on 3 of 4 replays in Yanks-Red Sox Game 3," 8 Oct. 2018 Seattle loaded the bases with no outs, but only got one run because Rougned Odor made a brilliant play on Dee Gordon’s ground ball up the middle, fielding it with the backhand, hustling and stepping on second and throwing off balance to first. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Mariners improve to 9-1 in extra innings, beating Texas 4-3 on a Ryon Healy hit," 6 Aug. 2018 Two 19-year-olds—Denis Shapovalov from Canada and Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece—have flare and hit stylish one-handed backhands. — Tom Perrotta, WSJ, "A Last Stand for the Golden Age of Men’s Tennis," 24 May 2018 Maybe that’s what wakes him up. … The thought of a 20-mile-an-hour backhand terrifies him. — David Meeks, USA TODAY, "'TODAY' show's Savannah Guthrie has major test after Olympics: Facing Roger Federer," 21 Feb. 2018 Elina Svitolina plays a backhand return to Viktória Kužmová during their second-round match at the French Open. — Tom Perrotta, WSJ, "The Key to Winning in Women’s Tennis: Create More Offense," 30 May 2018 At 3-4, Edmund shanked a backhand return, but his high ball somehow landed on the line. — New York Times, "At Madrid Open, Novak Djokovic Hits Another Road Block," 9 May 2018 Johnson then fended off a break point himself and secured the title, only his third at the ATP level, when Sandgren lofted a backhand return a couple feet long. — Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle, "Steve Johnson wins second straight Clay Court Championship," 15 Apr. 2018 Serbia's Novak Djokovic makes a backhand return to Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. — Michelle Kaufman, miamiherald, "Which players have the best chance to leave Key Biscayne as champions for final time | Miami Herald," 19 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Elvis Andrus backhanded the ball and threw out Moncada at the plate. — Steve Rosenbloom, chicagotribune.com, "Rick Renteria blew a big chance to make a big point with Yoan Moncada," 3 July 2018 Less than a minute later, Nicklas Backstrom backhanded a shot past Fleury, who couldn't recover after sprawling to his right with T.J. Oshie coming around the back of the goal. — W.g. Ramirez, baltimoresun.com, "Goalies Holtby, Fleury under siege in Stanley Cup Final Game 1 shootout between Caps, Knights," 29 May 2018 Less than a minute later, Nicklas Backstrom backhanded a shot past Fleury, who couldn’t recover after sprawling to his right with T.J. Oshie coming around the back of the goal. — W.g. Ramirez, The Seattle Times, "Goalies under siege in Game 1 shootout between Caps, Knights," 28 May 2018 Now, Gonzalez has become a goalie, backhanding one ball in the dirt, then exploding up and lunging for a Kopech fastball that sails way high and outside the zone. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "On his climb to the White Sox, Michael Kopech searching for a mental 'flow state'," 31 May 2018 Athanasiou, who scored Detroit's only two goals in an overtime win against Ottawa on Wednesday, gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game, skating in from the left and backhanding the puck past Reimer. — USA TODAY, "Red Wings beat Panthers 4-2 for 4th straight win," 5 Jan. 2018 Her main objective: Crush every forehand and backhand her coach sent her way. — Tom Perrotta, WSJ, "The Key to Winning in Women’s Tennis: Create More Offense," 30 May 2018 Dancs scooped the puck away from Northeastern’s Nolan Stevens at the Huskies’ blue line, skated across two zones while fighting off a defender and backhanded the puck into the far side of the net. — John Doyle, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan hockey beats Northeastern, 3-2; Next up: Boston U. on Sunday," 24 Mar. 2018 With two outs and the scored tied 1-1, JaCoby Jones hit a ground ball to third base that Kyle Seager couldn’t backhand with his glove and instead struck his knee, bouncing into foul territory. — Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times, "Mariners bounce back in Detroit, earn split of twin bill," 12 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backhand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.