underhand

1 of 2

adverb

un·​der·​hand ˈən-dər-ˌhand How to pronounce underhand (audio)
1
a
: in a clandestine manner
b
archaic : in a quiet or unobtrusive manner
2
: with an underhand motion
bowl underhand
pitch underhand

underhand

2 of 2

adjective

1
2
: done so as to evade notice
3
: made with the hand brought forward and up from below the shoulder level
an underhand serve

Examples of underhand in a Sentence

Adjective willing to stoop to underhand methods in order to win the congressman's underhand attempt to slip several pork barrel items into the bill
Recent Examples on the Web
Adverb
Each team will alternate tossing the bean bag underhand onto the board until all four bean bags are thrown. Anthony Gharib, USA TODAY, 13 June 2023 Pitchers tossed underhand and no one wore gloves yet, resulting in smarting pain in the hands of catchers and first basemen. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Embiid's three baskets during that stretch included an 18-foot jumper, a 3-pointer and a thunderous dunk after his underhand scoop off the glass. Dick Scanlon, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2024 Most of the questions and comments were softballs lobbed up for players to hit on their preferred themes — like Frannie's underhand home-run pitch to Carolyn on playing with emotion. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 25 May 2023 Another unorthodox method, the underhand free throw, was made famous over a half-century ago by N.B.A. Hall of Famer Rick Barry. John Yoon, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023 As most players stopped when Otton’s underhand toss floated to the ground, Jackson scooped it up without hesitation. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2023 The angle of the main handle felt a little steep and hard to maneuver underhand when tossing food. L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023 This, to be fair, is not a negligent omission in writer-director-star Pietro Castellitto’s script, which tells us early on that Enea, the elder son of a wealthy Roman family, ostensibly manages a high-end sushi restaurant, atop an assortment of more underhand dealings. Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2023 The Cougars’ quarterback tried to make an underhand pass for the touchdown. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023 With an off-balance, underhand flip, Hernández sent the ball wide of first base and into the home dugout — allowing the tying run to score and the Padres’ other runners to move into scoring position. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underhand.' 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

Adverb

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underhand was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near underhand

Cite this Entry

“Underhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underhand. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

underhand

1 of 2 adverb
un·​der·​hand ˈən-dər-ˌhand How to pronounce underhand (audio)
1
: in an underhand or secret manner
2
: with an underhand motion
throw underhand

underhand

2 of 2 adjective
1
: done in secret or so as to deceive : sly
underhand methods
2
: performed with the hand kept below the level of the shoulder
an underhand pitch

More from Merriam-Webster on underhand

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!