backhand

1 of 4

noun

back·​hand ˈbak-ˌhand How to pronounce backhand (audio)
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

Illustration of backhand

Illustration of backhand
  • backhand 1a

backhand

2 of 4

adjective

: made with a backhand
a backhand tennis stroke

backhand

3 of 4

adverb

back·​hand ˈbak-ˌhand How to pronounce backhand (audio)
variants or backhanded
: with a backhand

backhand

4 of 4

verb

backhanded; backhanding; backhands

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
Utah earned its second advantage of the night with 9:10 to play in the game when Schmaltz set up Utah’s captain, Keller, for a backhand goal. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 17 Oct. 2024 In the second set, Sinner again broke Fritz with a backhand winner down the line to takes a two-sets-to-love lead. Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 8 Sep. 2024
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
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
Verb
Neither player seemed all that interested in venturing forward Sunday unless forced to, instead content to ply their forehands and backhands from the back of the court. CBS News, 8 Sep. 2024 The second baseman, picked off earlier in the game, tried to backhand a ball that didn’t need to be backhanded, leading to the Padres’ first baserunner of the inning. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for backhand 

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

First Known Use

Noun

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1695, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1767, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backhand was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near backhand

Cite this Entry

“Backhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhand. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

backhand

1 of 4 noun
back·​hand -ˌhand How to pronounce backhand (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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