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
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
After Joel Edmundson stepped up to hit Benson, Carrick scooped up the loose puck and glided across the crease for a backhand goal.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2023
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
Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 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
Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Rojas, positioned on the turf, backhanded the ball but lost his footing, staggering to the dirt before planting his feet and firing home.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backhand
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Noun
In overtime, Carlsson generated a strong chance early before Terry ended the session 89 seconds in, taking the puck from leading Sabres scorer Tage Thompson and lifting a backhand shot to convert on the breakaway.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
After Joel Edmundson stepped up to hit Benson, Carrick scooped up the loose puck and glided across the crease for a backhand goal.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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
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
Adverb
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
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
Shortstop Sami Hood fails to backhand a grounder, allowing Kelsey Mathis to reach first.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Rojas, positioned on the turf, backhanded the ball but lost his footing, staggering to the dirt before planting his feet and firing home.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backhand
Cite this Entry
“Backhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhand. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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