1
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
willing to stoop to underhand methods in order to win
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underhanded
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underhand
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
The rest of those underhand shots resulted in misses while six of her makes on a 7-for-16 shooting night came off overhand layups.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 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
Softball has a bigger ball and underhand pitching, as well as a smaller diamond, a closer fence, and a different style of play that is both faster and simpler.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
The rest of those underhand shots resulted in misses while six of her makes on a 7-for-16 shooting night came off overhand layups.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 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
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On May 30, 2025, a Pennsylvania federal court refused NFL player agent Todd France’s request to vacate a December 2023 arbitration decision which ordered France to pay over $800,000 in damages to rival agent Jason Bernstein and which excoriated France for fraudulent conduct.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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The couple were convicted of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans as well as tax evasion and sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The fiery combination of Mars trine Venus sparks things up in your clandestine 12th house of secrets and eighth house of intimate affairs.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
22 May 2025
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Tired of using bulky night vision goggles for your clandestine nocturnal activities?—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, filed a suit against ExxonMobil last year that, in part, accuses the oil giant of deceptive claims regarding chemical recycling, which the company disputes.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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During the defense’s cross-examination of Kid Cudi, lawyers representing Combs portrayed Ventura as deceptive of both men.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Striking Iran’s nuclear program would likely set off a much larger conflict in which Israel and the United States hunt for covert Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran retaliates in the Middle East and beyond.—
Richard Nephew,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
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Mon Mothma's speech Mon Mothma's covert support of the Rebels becomes public following the devastating events of the Ghorman Massacre.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Patti LuPone had a shady reaction to questions about Audra McDonald in a new interview.—
Joey Nolfi Published,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
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Simple Deluxe 9-foot Patio Umbrella and 50-pound Base Add a shady spot to your sunny patio space with this nine-foot umbrella that comes with a base that can be filled with up to 50 pounds of sand or water.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Among them is Tonic, which stars Blair (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) as Sebastian Poe, a struggling jazz pianist who is given 24 hours to kill a dangerous drug dealer (Westwick) by a crooked cop (Jaso Coviello), and spirals into a moral and emotional tailspin.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
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Cigarette smoke, dames to kill for, crooked cops — latex super suit?—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of the investigation, Salinas Valencia sold the undercover officer several firearms, including two machineguns, as well as fentanyl pills and cocaine.—
Brian Bell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
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Officer 18 was a standout among undercover officers, doubling his or her regular pay all three years.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Harvard’s dishonest expert on honesty is a poignant symbol of a far larger problem in academia: ideological allegiance replacing the quest for truth.—
Andrew Follett,
National Review,
31 May 2025
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On one hand, the inquiry appeared to play into his rivals’ criticisms of Mr. Cuomo as a dishonest broker, who has been accused of putting nursing home residents at risk during the coronavirus pandemic and seeking to cover it up.—
Nicholas Fandos,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhand. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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