underhand 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of underhandnext
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

underhand

2 of 2

adverb

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
Adjective
The Bruins weren’t just tossing underhand lobs in the first period for the Sabres to jack out of the park. — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026 Hart slowed for an instant before charging off the mound, and Devers, who is no one’s idea of fast, beat out the underhand shovel from Gavin Sheets. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
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
  1. fraudulent
  2. clandestine
  3. deceptive
  4. covert
  5. shady
  6. undercover
  7. crooked
  8. underground
Adjective
  • Federal authorities said her husband and several other individuals stole millions of dollars from the casino by creating fraudulent credit vouchers.
    — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Malek also faces charges for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications in 2021.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraudulent
Adjective
  • The arrest, the official explained, came after the Attorney General’s Office concluded that there had been misconduct in an April operation in which state officials dismantled a clandestine drug-manufacturing laboratory.
    — Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Bridgers’ tour restricts phones, so the reader’s account had to stand in for the clandestine photo that might otherwise have accompanied the sighting.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of clandestine
Adjective
  • But several Theranos staffers and journalists say Holmes was frequently deceptive and would lie repeatedly, especially when confronted with facts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election.
    — Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceptive
Adjective
  • But how and through whom the money flowed into the Alpha account revealed that it was intended to remain secret, more akin to a covert and illicit scheme, given that it was managed in part by a senior advisor to the president of the United States.
    — Matthew Cole, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even in scenes outside Sonny’s perspective, Ellen still looks like not-quite-Connie Britton, fielding suspicious phone calls and making covert trips to the bank.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of covert
Adjective
  • Many shady electronics companies are happy to sell you the wrong component for the wrong price.
    — Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The fake image was attention-grabbing, shady, and timely — in other words, perfect for social media virality but a potential liability for the parties involved.
    — Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of shady
Adjective
  • But his father, also named William, became a supporter — and even went undercover of sorts at her 2021 fraud trial.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The federal indictment identifies instructions directing undercover Cuban spies not to fly with Brothers to the Rescue around the time of the attack.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of undercover
Adjective
  • Finding no legal recourse in a city with a crooked police department and judiciary, Matt gives in to despair.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Others convicted in relation to the robbery included Brian Reader, a career criminal who was involved in other high-profile robberies before and after Brink’s-Mat, crooked solicitor Michael Relton, and McAvoy’s wife, Kathleen.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of crooked
Adjective
  • The Finnish Government has granted Posiva Oy an operating license for the world’s first permanent underground repository for spent nuclear fuel.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Part of what a racist superstructure creates is the need for some kind of underground economy.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of underground

Browse Nearby Words

undergrowths
underhand
underhanded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhand. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All