as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
"I'm amazed you did so well" is a bit of a backhanded compliment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backhanded
Something of a backhanded compliment, given how this season unfolded.
—
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
He was helped by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who made a backhanded stop on a sharp grounder while playing in and threw out Mauricio Dubón for the second out to keep the automatic runner at third.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
That is not meant as a backhanded compliment, but an indictment of the past regime.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
In the aftermath, Doncic pushed Williams in the lower back, and Williams responded by striking Doncic with a backhanded swing.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
He was helped by shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who made a backhanded stop on a sharp grounder while playing in and threw out Mauricio Dubón for the second out to keep the automatic runner at third.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
That is not meant as a backhanded compliment, but an indictment of the past regime.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
In the aftermath, Doncic pushed Williams in the lower back, and Williams responded by striking Doncic with a backhanded swing.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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Then and only then did Brunson wrap his head in a towel, double over at the waist and start crying.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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The Angels added to their advantage in the sixth inning when Guzman delivered a two-out two-run single and Walton followed with his run-scoring double.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Authorities say the operation powered fake websites built to steal credit card numbers, passwords and other personal information.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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None of that makes the project fake.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Earlier this month, Matsui’s campaign came after Vang for taking corporate donations from Sacramento-area businesses during her city council campaigns, implying that Vang’s vows to not accept money from corporate PACs in her congressional bid is hypocritical.—
Mathew Miranda
June 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
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People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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And so, open door policies rarely fail because leaders are insincere.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Everyone else was various degrees of insincere or arch.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Austin Nieves, a recent transplant to the area and the man who had brought this brave group together, broke the strained silence by handing out beers.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Dani provides the voiceover, filled with strained metaphors about earthquakes and sermons on the importance of summer, but the pretense that the dialogue is taken from his interrogation is quickly abandoned.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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An advocate stops being merely a superficial backer when the promotion of another involves risk to the advocate.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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But the growing fervor for sardines hinges on something more superficial, literally and figuratively.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Many feminist Marxists believed, in the ’70s, that the liberation of sexuality would change the way that all people love one another and inhabit their bodies, such that the very categories of cissexual society shall become odd and meaningless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
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But that doesn't mean the data is unimportant or meaningless, especially when HRV is considered alongside other health information such as sleep quality, resting heart rate, activity levels, recovery patterns or stress metrics.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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