underhanded

1 of 2

adverb

un·​der·​hand·​ed ˌən-dər-ˈhan-dəd 

: underhand

underhanded

2 of 2

adjective

: marked by secrecy, chicanery, and deception : not honest and aboveboard : sly

an underhanded attempt to gain power

underhandedly adverb

underhandedness noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• bent [chiefly British]
• crooked
• deceptive
• dishonest
• double-dealing
• duplicitous
• fast
• fraudulent
• guileful
• rogue
• shady
• sharp
• shifty
• underhand

Choose the Right Synonym for underhanded

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation.

secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Examples of underhanded in a Sentence

Adjective

the commercial is a part of an underhanded PR campaign to whitewash the company's environmental record

an underhanded attempt at infiltrating the other party's headquarters

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Cena, however, ultimately emerged victorious, squeaking by Orton via underhanded tactics to continue his heel run. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

His underhanded attempt to maintain power over this case is a judicial power grab that the Department of Justice will fight by all means necessary. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025

For example, five of Reese’s 16 shots at the rim in Friday’s game against the Lunar Owls were underhanded. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025

Barry famously shot his free throws underhanded, too, so this was kind of his comfort zone. —Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 19 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

circa 1822, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for underhanded

• countermanded
• evenhanded
• reprimanded
• backhanded
• commanded
• demanded
• disbanded
• expanded
• misbranded
• remanded
• unbranded
• banded

Kids Definition

underhanded

adjective or adverb

un·​der·​hand·​ed

ˌən-dər-ˈhan-dəd

: underhand entry 1, underhand entry 2 sense 1

underhandedly adverb

underhandedness noun