1
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
the commercial is a part of an underhanded PR campaign to whitewash the company's environmental record
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an underhanded attempt at infiltrating the other party's headquarters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underhand
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underhanded
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For example, five of Reese’s 16 shots at the rim in Friday’s game against the Lunar Owls were underhanded.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Barry famously shot his free throws underhanded, too, so this was kind of his comfort zone.
—Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
This act, designed to build intrigue for their WrestleMania match, portrayed Cena as underhanded.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
Adverb
His underhanded attempt to maintain power over this case is a judicial power grab that the Department of Justice will fight by all means necessary.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For example, five of Reese’s 16 shots at the rim in Friday’s game against the Lunar Owls were underhanded.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Barry famously shot his free throws underhanded, too, so this was kind of his comfort zone.
—Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
This act, designed to build intrigue for their WrestleMania match, portrayed Cena as underhanded.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underhanded
Adjective
-
Amazon has prevailed in a class-action lawsuit that accused it of engaging in deceptive trade practices.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
19 July 2025
-
Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office sent CBZ and its constituent companies several subpoenas in September as investigators probed the chronically unsafe conditions of the companies’ properties, as well as allegations from tenants that CBZ had engaged in insurance fraud and deceptive practices.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
After paying private equity tycoon Jack McGinley $52 million in a clandestine off-market deal for the Georgian-style spread, which was designed by architect Don Nulty and built in 2009 for 9-1-1: Lone Star actor Rob Lowe, Levine and Prinsloo have put the place back on the market for $65 million.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
10 July 2025
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Built to listen for clandestine nuclear bomb blasts, the globe-spanning system detects low-frequency acoustic-gravity waves.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 July 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
Adjective
-
Most courts will ignore asset protection moves taken after that point, labeling them as fraudulent conveyances.—
Bob Carlson,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
In total, the group was accused of wasting 1,937 COVID-19 vaccine doses between October 2021 and September 2022, including 391 pediatric doses, and creating fraudulent immunization records for them.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Unlike phishing emails or shady downloads, the malicious code arrived through routine, automatic updates and raised no immediate red flags.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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In his search for justice on the frontier, however, Rabbi Mo unknowingly wades into the center of a lethal conspiracy tied to a shady land deal.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
And Aleesha spontaneously planted a kiss on Luke while celebrating their successful covert operation to get Karina’s laptop.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
10 July 2025
-
Further, nations set on developing nuclear weapons can be subject to covert operations or outright military attacks, which can slow them down considerably.—
Brendan Rascius
July 8,
Miami Herald,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Republicans are right to be terrified with their prospects in November 2025 and 2026; there is going to be a major reckoning for their chaotic, crooked, and extreme governance.—
James Skoufis,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
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National reporters and true crime junkies dug in, while local officials — already lacquered in scandal — looked so crooked a frame job seemed not just possible but probable.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Watch a sneak peek below, then read on for more: Go undercover and solve local mysteries with Christmas shop owner Emily Lane!—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 July 2025
-
The guy who was in charge of buying apparently used a fake persona; this was very undercover, this is all happening secretly.—
Peter Balonon-Rosen,
Vox,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhanded. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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