backhanded
adjective
back·hand·ed
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd 
2
: using or made with a backhand
backhandedly
adverb
Examples of backhanded in a Sentence
We were disappointed by his backhanded apology.
“You throw okay, for a girl” is a bit of a backhanded compliment
Recent Examples on the Web
But, in a way, even this backlash is a backhanded recognition of the moment; the Administration, and its supporters in the fossil-fuel industry, clearly consider this the last possible moment to stifle the sun.
—
Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2025
After his wife, Hailey Bieber, appeared looking happy, healthy, and gorgeous on the cover of the June 2025 issue of Vogue, Justin Bieber took to Instagram to congratulate the model on the achievement in a sort of a backhanded way.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 20 May 2025
Marcelo Mayer made a nice backhanded pick and fired across his body for the forceout.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Gagnon forced another ground ball and a fielder’s choice for the second out, and Faber made a backhanded stab at short and fired across the diamond to beat the runner and escape the inning.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
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Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2025
After his wife, Hailey Bieber, appeared looking happy, healthy, and gorgeous on the cover of the June 2025 issue of Vogue, Justin Bieber took to Instagram to congratulate the model on the achievement in a sort of a backhanded way.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 20 May 2025
Marcelo Mayer made a nice backhanded pick and fired across his body for the forceout.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Gagnon forced another ground ball and a fielder’s choice for the second out, and Faber made a backhanded stab at short and fired across the diamond to beat the runner and escape the inning.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backhanded. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backhanded
adjective
back·hand·ed
ˈbak-ˈhan-dəd
1
2
: not sincere
a backhanded compliment
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