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
Barkov showed off his skill in the clinching game against the Hurricanes, fending off defenseman Dmitry Orlov against the boards before feeding Carter Verhaeghe a perfect, backhanded pass to set up what would prove to be the conference-winning goal.
—
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 31 May 2025
Critics say work requirements are a backhanded way to slim down the Medicaid rolls, since the paperwork requirements of such programs have proved so onerous that eligible people drop out, causing the uninsured rate to rise.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
LeMahieu then ended the inning with a slick, backhanded, sliding play on a Lindor groundout.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
That’s not a backhanded compliment, that’s more … RUSSELL The reality.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 31 May 2025
Critics say work requirements are a backhanded way to slim down the Medicaid rolls, since the paperwork requirements of such programs have proved so onerous that eligible people drop out, causing the uninsured rate to rise.
—Elisabeth Rosenthal, Miami Herald, 22 May 2025
LeMahieu then ended the inning with a slick, backhanded, sliding play on a Lindor groundout.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 17 May 2025
That’s not a backhanded compliment, that’s more … RUSSELL The reality.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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After a crew chief review, it was ruled a double, giving the Mets a 7-4 lead.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
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Volpe has a career .333 batting average (6-for-18) with a double against him.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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California law already bans wearing a mask or other disguise, including a fake mustache, wig or beard to hide your identity and evade law enforcement while committing a crime, but there are no current laws about what police can or cannot wear.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
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He was charged with armed violence, use of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card, possession of a fake ID and drug possession.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
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For lip color, reach for the Merit Beauty Signature lipsticks.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2022
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What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.—
Sam Sacks,
WSJ,
11 Nov. 2022
Adjective
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Now, instead of being a source of national pride, many elite universities have become a source of national division, with some Americans viewing them as decadent, hypocritical or even hostile to their values.—
Allison Schrager,
Twin Cities,
3 June 2025
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The true villain is Herod, who, in his hypocritical mixture of slobbering lust and grandstanding moralism, is a model man of power.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Democrats doubled down on issues that didn’t resonate with male voters and the tactics often used were corny, insincere and offensive.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
2 June 2025
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That’s not to say the film’s focus on the magic and mysteries male companionship is insincere.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The earliest use cases have shown up where human labor is most strained and speed is a competitive edge, support desks, sales pipelines, email inboxes and even the marketing office where agentic marketplaces like Enso offer an entire team’s worth of agentic replacements.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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The All-Star pitcher, who’s coming back from a strained left hamstring, threw 55 pitches between Saturday’s outing in the Arizona Complex League and an extra session in the bullpen.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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By proactively identifying and mitigating potential data pitfalls and by diligently implementing these four key strategies, product strategy teams can transition from having a superficial reliance on data to a deep and comprehensive mastery of it.—
Ramalakshmi Murugan,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Yet the superficial script lets the actors and crew members down.—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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