1
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
willing to stoop to underhand methods in order to win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
the congressman's underhand attempt to slip several pork barrel items into the bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underhanded
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 underhand
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
The game starts with an underhand serve cross court.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Anthony Gharib, USA TODAY, 13 June 2023
Pitchers tossed underhand and no one wore gloves yet, resulting in smarting pain in the hands of catchers and first basemen.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for underhand
Adjective
Paying homage to this history, the 2025 iteration’s Chemigum outsole is oil-resistant, and its roughout leather is much more resilient than the comparable suede, though with a similar underhand feel.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025
The game starts with an underhand serve cross court.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Each team will alternate tossing the bean bag underhand onto the board until all four bean bags are thrown.
—Anthony Gharib, USA TODAY, 13 June 2023
Pitchers tossed underhand and no one wore gloves yet, resulting in smarting pain in the hands of catchers and first basemen.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for underhand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underhand
Adjective
-
Ghost sued Wilson for defamation, leading to a countersuit accusing Ghost, Gregory Cameron, and Vince Holden of breach of contract, false imprisonment, fraudulent inducement, and infliction of emotional distress.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The bottom line Disputing collections debt is your legal right and often your best financial move when accounts are inaccurate, fraudulent or legally unenforceable.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To create this unique cinematic experience, Stewart and Poots endured rigorous trial-and-error shoots, tough training days in clandestine New York pool houses.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Saimar Rivas, Armas’s partner and a longtime civil-rights activist, told me that he had been taken to a clandestine site run by the SEBIN, Venezuela’s intelligence agency.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gumihos are mythical, fox-like creatures out of Korean folklore known for their nine tails, deceptive behavior, and magical powers.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
14 Jan. 2026
-
There was a bill introduced last legislative session that would have empowered citizens to sue for allegedly deceptive practices, fraud, harassment, intimidation or misrepresentation during the acquisition of land access agreements by carbon pipeline land agents.—
Meghan O’Brien,
States Newsroom,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Danish media reported that at least three people with connections to Trump carried out covert influence operations in Greenland.—
Emma Burrows,
Fortune,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Federal statute mandates the president inform a bipartisan group of eight, high-ranking members of Congress prior to particularly covert operations.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hikers dip into shady trails lined with thick brush, a favorite path being the Myakka Canopy Walkway, which offers a rare peek into the ecosystems—both minuscule and massive—within the swampy marshland.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In several cases, devices sold as simple media streamers appear to quietly turn your home internet connection into part of larger networks used for shady online activity.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Get Ready: Katy Perry Has Released a Sneak Peek of Her New Song And the internet has receipts.—
Mehera Bonner,
Marie Claire,
15 Mar. 2017
Adjective
-
Willms plans to call the Bureau of Land Management — the agency that oversees these parcels of federal land — to report the crooked stake.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Begin by removing any suckers at the base of the tree, side shoots on the trunk, crossing or crooked branches, dead or damaged branches, those that are growing inward, and crowded branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Nine years after foiling a lucrative weapons tradeoff and delivering Roper to Syrian captors, Pine has gone undercover again, eventually reuniting with foreign investigator Angela Burr (Colman) as an MI6 operative.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Can the Faithfuls work together or will the Traitors go undercover and pick off the Faithfuls one by one?—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhand. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
