backhanded

adjective

ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce backhanded (audio)
Definition of backhandednext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of backhanded Byfield heaved a backhanded centering pass to the rear post for a redirection by Moore, the Kings’ first goal of the playoffs from someone other than Panarin. — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026 He was helped by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who made a backhanded stop on a sharp grounder while playing in and threw out Mauricio Dubón for the second out to keep the automatic runner at third. — ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026 That is not meant as a backhanded compliment, but an indictment of the past regime. — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026 In the aftermath, Doncic pushed Williams in the lower back, and Williams responded by striking Doncic with a backhanded swing. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
  1. double
  2. fake
  3. lip
  4. hypocritical
  5. insincere
  6. strained
  7. superficial
  8. meaningless
Adjective
  • Ildemaro Vargas walked on four pitches with one out, swiped second and scored on a 75-mph ball that Gabriel Moreno dumped down the right-field line for a double.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • The visitors had two hits before that, one of which was a two-out double by Mike Yastrzemski off the right field wall before Bart’s game-changing at-bat.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of double
Adjective
  • Beware of the stalls selling fake leather or souvenirs made in China.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
  • Tired of spending his days simply delighting in psychological torture and revenge, Lestat publicly chases the life of a famous rock star, writing and producing an album and performing in a cross-country tour while maintaining a fake vampire persona.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of lip
Adjective
  • Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.
    — Mathew Miranda June 4, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Definition of hypocritical
Adjective
  • Not everyone believes, however, that the line is insincere.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • And so, open door policies rarely fail because leaders are insincere.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Definition of insincere
Adjective
  • Trout, who missed 17 games due to a strained right hamstring, hit a 438-foot shot that gave the Angels an 11-0 lead in the eighth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • After years of strained public services, supply and food shortages and poverty, nearly 8 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes hit.
    — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Definition of strained
Adjective
  • Examples like sales phone time or the Wells Fargo scandal illustrate how focusing solely on numbers can distort behavior, leading to superficial achievements or even unethical practices.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The performances of those groups might have resembled one another in some superficial way, but the individual politics of each do matter and shouldn’t be lumped together on account of aesthetics.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Definition of superficial
Adjective
  • One sure focus is the rampant grade inflation that exaggerates student achievement and has made graduating high school close to meaningless as an indicator of college preparedness.
    — U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • This distinction between meaningful and meaningless data evokes signal versus noise, a communication concept formulated by the mathematician Claude Shannon.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of meaningless

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backhand
backhanded
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Cite this Entry

“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of backhanded for Spanish Speakers

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