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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Recent Examples of backhanded
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
With pressure levels reaching a breaking point, the 29-year-old stepped up and, with one incredible deke and one backhanded flick of her stick, wrote a chapter in this rivalry’s history that will be remembered for quite some time.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
The prevailing positive, in a backhanded compliment sort of way, is that the Aztecs played with No. 1 into the second half and would have pushed the 11-0 Wildcats even deeper had an offense that has been so effective all season not gone Siberian frigid.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
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
With pressure levels reaching a breaking point, the 29-year-old stepped up and, with one incredible deke and one backhanded flick of her stick, wrote a chapter in this rivalry’s history that will be remembered for quite some time.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
The prevailing positive, in a backhanded compliment sort of way, is that the Aztecs played with No. 1 into the second half and would have pushed the 11-0 Wildcats even deeper had an offense that has been so effective all season not gone Siberian frigid.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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Sinner, the 2024 Miami Open champion, became the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double — winning Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back — and the first in history to win the double without losing a set.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Seven stacks of tiny paper cups were arranged to the left, next to packets of Nescafé, pouches of two-minute noodles, and a double gas burner connected to the cylinder—the main tool of his trade.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Obama recently teamed up with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards to squash their fake beef while promoting his Obama Presidential Center opening June 19 in Chicago.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The studio put an ad in The Boston Globe in December that looked like a fake engagement announcement.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Last month, White criticized the president’s declaration of war against Iran and his hypocritical stance on peace.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
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Thomas Jefferson, the great hero of the Declaration of Independence, is shown as hypocritical, cowardly, manipulative, a schemer of every kind.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Using artificial intelligence to compose a social media post in the wake of a tragedy, or using it to write a fan letter to an Olympic athlete, comes off as insincere.—
Gayle Rogers,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
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That being said, its professional technical aspects just add to the impression that this is a glib and insincere effort, trying to graft a fun moviegoing experience onto a depressing story about hateful people reveling in each other’s pain.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Fuel subsidies threaten to blow a hole in Jakarta’s already strained budget.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Data centers have sparked backlash from communities across the state that are worried about higher utility bills, strained power grids and water being diverted away from families to cool servers at massive data centers.—
Brendan Steinhauser,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For now, at least, that defense is mostly superficial.—
Gaby Del Valle,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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These smaller, superficial doses can help minimize the appearance of pores, reduce oiliness, soften fine lines, and create a smoother overall finish without freezing your facial movements.—
Jenny Jin,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The next frontier for meaningless records?—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Mar. 2026
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The White House already had dismissed the protests as meaningless.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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