: marked by secrecy, chicanery, and deception : not honest and aboveboard : sly
an underhanded attempt to gain power
underhandedly
adverb
underhandedness
noun
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
Thomas Morgan, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Another state legislative proposal to allow public districts to hire school chaplains, which critics view as an underhanded attempt at evangelizing to students, has only succeeded in Texas and Florida.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Sep. 2025
The offense never got on track, and the disappointment was only intensified when it was discovered that Houston used underhanded tactics to gain an advantage on opponents that season.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2025
Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation As the new Undisputed WWE Champion, Cena has embraced his villainous side, retaining his title against stars like Randy Orton by using cheap shots and underhanded tactics.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
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Adjective
An underhanded minority are adapting to laxer journal policies by using artificial intelligence to accelerate their research pipeline.
—Thomas Morgan, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Another state legislative proposal to allow public districts to hire school chaplains, which critics view as an underhanded attempt at evangelizing to students, has only succeeded in Texas and Florida.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Sep. 2025
The offense never got on track, and the disappointment was only intensified when it was discovered that Houston used underhanded tactics to gain an advantage on opponents that season.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 17 Aug. 2025
Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation As the new Undisputed WWE Champion, Cena has embraced his villainous side, retaining his title against stars like Randy Orton by using cheap shots and underhanded tactics.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
Cite this Entry
“Underhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underhanded. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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