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
That’s not a backhanded compliment, that’s more … RUSSELL The reality.
—
Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
That sounds like a backhanded compliment, and the Scot’s technical quality shouldn’t be underestimated.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
The post didn’t come with shade, a backhanded compliment, or some cryptic message.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
MacKinnon chased down the puck behind Anaheim’s net and snapped a backhanded pass through the legs of Saku Koivu to Jamie McGinn cutting to the net.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
That sounds like a backhanded compliment, and the Scot’s technical quality shouldn’t be underestimated.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
The post didn’t come with shade, a backhanded compliment, or some cryptic message.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
MacKinnon chased down the puck behind Anaheim’s net and snapped a backhanded pass through the legs of Saku Koivu to Jamie McGinn cutting to the net.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
-
Went Two-Times Platinum in Under Two Months By mid-July 2024, RM’s Right Place, Wrong Person had been certified double platinum on Korea’s Circle Charts with over 500,000 copies sold despite his absence from active promotions.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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The double cheeseburger requires a commitment, prompting a likely nap shortly after.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s a backdrop of fake news and collective anxiety.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 June 2025
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Federal agents concluded that many of the documents, which were turned over by an attorney representing the restaurant, were fake or falsified, according to the warrant.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
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For lip color, reach for the Merit Beauty Signature lipsticks.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The woman is long gone, so Freer has to imagine her consent — in a history so full of gaps, coercion, and disappearance, a pretended connection is better than none at all.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2022
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What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.—
Sam Sacks,
WSJ,
11 Nov. 2022
Adjective
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And with legalized gambling sites now a huge revenue stream for MLB and many of its teams, the Rose ban seemed hypocritical to some.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Kathleen O’Leary, Boca Raton Get a mirror, Marco The Republican Party is the most hypocritical group of politicians this country has ever seen, and Marco Rubio its biggest hypocrite of all.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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That’s not to say the film’s focus on the magic and mysteries male companionship is insincere.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
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Consider New Perspectives And Feedback Employees can tell when relationships are insincere, which is why leaders must practice empathy and authenticity so that trust, collaboration and cultural awareness can take root.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Coulombe has been out since May 5 with a strained left forearm.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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The official synopsis for Father Mother Sister Brother reads: Estranged siblings reunite after years apart, forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Stick’s good feeling is not just superficial, either.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
5 June 2025
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People expect brands to understand them—not in a superficial, segmented way, but in a way that mirrors the nuanced complexity of their lives.—
Vibhor Kapoor,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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