: marked by secrecy, chicanery, and deception : not honest and aboveboard : sly
an underhanded attempt to gain power
underhandedly
adverb
underhandedness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of underhanded in a Sentence
Adjective
the commercial is a part of an underhanded PR campaign to whitewash the company's environmental record
an underhanded attempt at infiltrating the other party's headquarters
Recent Examples on the Web
Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Blake Hinson, Kyle Anderson and an underhanded Steve Kerr each hit one half-court shot.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
Luis Cortes / Reuters As senators debated the reform, opposition lawmakers accused the ruling bloc of underhanded tactics to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2024
Bowman said Trump's advantage flows from a perception the economy did well during his 2017-2021 administration, and from his success convincing voters U.S. economic problems stemmed from underhanded economic competition from other countries, notably China.
—Jason Lange, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underhanded 
Adjective
The main concern would be whether any foul and underhanded content might have been scanned at some point.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Blake Hinson, Kyle Anderson and an underhanded Steve Kerr each hit one half-court shot.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
Luis Cortes / Reuters As senators debated the reform, opposition lawmakers accused the ruling bloc of underhanded tactics to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2024
Bowman said Trump's advantage flows from a perception the economy did well during his 2017-2021 administration, and from his success convincing voters U.S. economic problems stemmed from underhanded economic competition from other countries, notably China.
—Jason Lange, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for underhanded
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underhanded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near underhanded
Cite this Entry
“Underhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underhanded. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share