backhanded
adjective
back·hand·ed
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd 
1
2
: using or made with a backhand
backhandedly
adverb
Examples of backhanded in a Sentence
We were disappointed by his backhanded apology.
“You throw okay, for a girl” is a bit of a backhanded compliment
Recent Examples on the Web
That is not meant as a backhanded compliment, but an indictment of the past regime.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
In the aftermath, Doncic pushed Williams in the lower back, and Williams responded by striking Doncic with a backhanded swing.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
With pressure levels reaching a breaking point, the 29-year-old stepped up and, with one incredible deke and one backhanded flick of her stick, wrote a chapter in this rivalry’s history that will be remembered for quite some time.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
The prevailing positive, in a backhanded compliment sort of way, is that the Aztecs played with No. 1 into the second half and would have pushed the 11-0 Wildcats even deeper had an offense that has been so effective all season not gone Siberian frigid.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
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Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
In the aftermath, Doncic pushed Williams in the lower back, and Williams responded by striking Doncic with a backhanded swing.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
With pressure levels reaching a breaking point, the 29-year-old stepped up and, with one incredible deke and one backhanded flick of her stick, wrote a chapter in this rivalry’s history that will be remembered for quite some time.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
The prevailing positive, in a backhanded compliment sort of way, is that the Aztecs played with No. 1 into the second half and would have pushed the 11-0 Wildcats even deeper had an offense that has been so effective all season not gone Siberian frigid.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhanded. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backhanded
adjective
back·hand·ed
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd
1
2
: not sincere
a backhanded compliment
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