Illustration of backhand
- backhand 1a
back·hand
ˈbak-ˌhand 
1
a
: a stroke (as in tennis) made with the back of the hand turned in the direction of movement
also
: the side on which such strokes are made
b
: a catch (as in baseball) made to the side of the body opposite the hand being used
2
: handwriting whose strokes slant downward from left to right
: made with a backhand
a backhand tennis stroke
backhanded; backhanding; backhands
: to do, hit, or catch backhand
Examples of backhand in a Sentence
Noun
She has a good backhand but a weak forehand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Carlsson settled a chaotic sequence calmly and roofed a backhand from close range for his first goal, and then carried the puck across three zones before pulling up for a precise shot from just above the right faceoff dot.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 3 Mar. 2025
Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022
Dalton, who has four game-winning goals this season, beat Quinnipiac goalie Logan Angers with a backhand shot 11:42, then Emma Seitz scores from point-blank range from in front of the right circle at 16:21.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2023
Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2022
When one last backhand by Nadal found the net, Tiafoe put his hands on his head.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022
Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
He was stationed near the left post when Devon Toews’ shot was blocked in the slot, but the defenseman backhanded the loose puck to MacKinnon for a lay-up at 12:09 of the period.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhand
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Noun
The whip of a one-handed backhand complementing two lightning bolts, in his serve and his forehand.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Carlsson settled a chaotic sequence calmly and roofed a backhand from close range for his first goal, and then carried the puck across three zones before pulling up for a precise shot from just above the right faceoff dot.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The Winterhawks don’t get back as a give-and-go between Korchinski and Schaefer in the neutral zone creates a 2-on-1, and Korchinski quickly makes a backhand feed to Crnkovic in front.
—Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 26 Nov. 2022
Dalton, who has four game-winning goals this season, beat Quinnipiac goalie Logan Angers with a backhand shot 11:42, then Emma Seitz scores from point-blank range from in front of the right circle at 16:21.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2023
Adverb
Radulov showed backhand before pulling it to his forehand and slipping the puck past Linus Ullmark.
—Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2022
When one last backhand by Nadal found the net, Tiafoe put his hands on his head.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2022
Verb
But the go-ahead goal was egregious when oft-scratched Declan Chisholm, inserted into the lineup for Jon Merrill after a rough game in New Jersey, accidentally backhanded a puck right on net.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
He was stationed near the left post when Devon Toews’ shot was blocked in the slot, but the defenseman backhanded the loose puck to MacKinnon for a lay-up at 12:09 of the period.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhand
Cite this Entry
“Backhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhand. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backhand
1 of 4 noun
back·hand
-ˌhand
1
a
: a stroke (as in tennis) made with the back of the hand turned in the direction of movement
b
: a catch made with the arm across the body and the palm turned away from the body
2
: handwriting in which the letters slant to the left
backhand
2 of 4 adjective
: using or made with a backhand
backhand
3 of 4 verb
: to do, hit, or catch with a backhand
backhand
4 of 4 adverb
variants
or backhanded
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd
: with a backhand
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