backhander
noun
back·hand·er
ˈbak-ˈhan-dər 
Examples of backhander in a Sentence
She hit a backhander into the net.
the customs official let us know that he might be prepared to look the other way if an appropriate backhander was slipped into his palm
Recent Examples on the Web
The defender used her long reach and some slick moves to deke past the St. Mary’s defender, and coolly finished the play with a backhander to beat Catino.
—
Olivia Nolan, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Mar. 2023
Ullmark stopped Anthony Cirelli’s backhander on a partial breakaway with about seven minutes left.
—Ken Powtak, ajc, 25 Mar. 2023
Clayton Keller showed great control with the puck along the boards during the power play and gave the green light for Boyd’s backhander at 12:44 in the second.
—Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023
Hall cut in front and beat Sorokin with a backhander for the game-winner.
—Ken Powtak, Star Tribune, 10 May 2021
Acquired from the New York Rangers in a trade last September after a 13-year career, Staal put Detroit up 1-0 at 2:58 of the second period with his backhander in close.
—Bill Whitehead, Star Tribune, 7 Feb. 2021
Kopitar finished it off by faking Skinner out of his skates and scoring on a backhander, his second goal of the series.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2023
But Adrian Kempe cut that to 2-1 early in the third period with a nifty backhander and scored from the right circle to cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-2 at 11:23 of the third period.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2023
Zacha, blitzing down the slot, reached out with his long stick and knocked in a backhander for the 2-0 lead.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
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Olivia Nolan, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Mar. 2023
Ullmark stopped Anthony Cirelli’s backhander on a partial breakaway with about seven minutes left.
—Ken Powtak, ajc, 25 Mar. 2023
Clayton Keller showed great control with the puck along the boards during the power play and gave the green light for Boyd’s backhander at 12:44 in the second.
—Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023
Hall cut in front and beat Sorokin with a backhander for the game-winner.
—Ken Powtak, Star Tribune, 10 May 2021
Acquired from the New York Rangers in a trade last September after a 13-year career, Staal put Detroit up 1-0 at 2:58 of the second period with his backhander in close.
—Bill Whitehead, Star Tribune, 7 Feb. 2021
Kopitar finished it off by faking Skinner out of his skates and scoring on a backhander, his second goal of the series.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2023
But Adrian Kempe cut that to 2-1 early in the third period with a nifty backhander and scored from the right circle to cut Edmonton’s lead to 3-2 at 11:23 of the third period.
—Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2023
Zacha, blitzing down the slot, reached out with his long stick and knocked in a backhander for the 2-0 lead.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backhander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Backhander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhander. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about backhander
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