as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
"I'm amazed you did so well" is a bit of a backhanded compliment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backhanded
MacKinnon took the puck off the wall behind the Boston net and snapped a backhanded pass to Lehkonen for a one-timer and a pretty goal.
—
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
The best came on a strong drive down the left wing and a sweet backhanded feed from Laba to Raddysh in the third period.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
This biting insult about nails Cristal is queen of the backhanded compliment.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Still, Pet Sematary is surprisingly, enjoyably watchable, which is a bit of a backhanded compliment for an adaptation of something so dark.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
The best came on a strong drive down the left wing and a sweet backhanded feed from Laba to Raddysh in the third period.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
This biting insult about nails Cristal is queen of the backhanded compliment.
—Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Still, Pet Sematary is surprisingly, enjoyably watchable, which is a bit of a backhanded compliment for an adaptation of something so dark.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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The exterior is made of microfiber that’s been double-brushed for silky softness.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
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Evan Wanner walked off the Class AA state championship in double overtime with a swift wrister past Jerdee, returning Moorhead to the summit of Minnesota high school hockey.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Police listed multiple flags to watch out for, including Irish and British accents, saying many of the members are part of international rings of foreign nationals using fake business names.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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However, the best part of this entire charade was not Devens hiding a fake idol at Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Nov. 2025
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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The tech entrepreneur, who founded a fitness app and a financial management platform catering to young and wealthy customers, also characterizes Khanna’s stock trading as hypocritical since the congressman campaigns on easing inequality.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The permanent observer of the 22-nation Arab League, Maged Abdelaziz, suggested Israel was being hypocritical in justifying its military attack by saying it was intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.—
Edith M. Lederer,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But this initiative struck many of us as insincere from the beginning — one committee to co-sign the death sentence, another to swing the ax.—
Randy Ribay,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Which is not to say that Amodei is being insincere.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With Powell missing his third straight game because of a strained right groin, the Heat went with the starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Herro, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo for the third consecutive game.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House pledge for tech companies responds to fears of what data center buildouts mean for everyday Americans’ strained wallets.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In her closing argument, Wanzenberg repeatedly noted that Mahdee received more than 40 stab wounds, and Vargas had three superficial cuts on his arm.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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But all the wounds were superficial.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now making promises is becoming meaningless.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
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Without a police presence, these changes are meaningless.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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