1
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
the commercial is a part of an underhanded PR campaign to whitewash the company's environmental record
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clandestine
undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others
an underhanded attempt at infiltrating the other party's headquarters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in underhand
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of underhanded
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For example, five of Reese’s 16 shots at the rim in Friday’s game against the Lunar Owls were underhanded.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Barry famously shot his free throws underhanded, too, so this was kind of his comfort zone.
—Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
This act, designed to build intrigue for their WrestleMania match, portrayed Cena as underhanded.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
Adverb
His underhanded attempt to maintain power over this case is a judicial power grab that the Department of Justice will fight by all means necessary.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For example, five of Reese’s 16 shots at the rim in Friday’s game against the Lunar Owls were underhanded.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Barry famously shot his free throws underhanded, too, so this was kind of his comfort zone.
—Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
This act, designed to build intrigue for their WrestleMania match, portrayed Cena as underhanded.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underhanded
Adjective
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Amazon has prevailed in a class-action lawsuit that accused it of engaging in deceptive trade practices.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
19 July 2025
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Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office sent CBZ and its constituent companies several subpoenas in September as investigators probed the chronically unsafe conditions of the companies’ properties, as well as allegations from tenants that CBZ had engaged in insurance fraud and deceptive practices.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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Speaking with Robbie Fox on the My Mom's Basement podcast, the former WWE Champion shared the story of the clandestine meeting.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
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Even when targeting America’s enemies, not all are supportive of clandestine cyberattacks.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Adverb
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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
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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
Adjective
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About 86% of the fraudulent claims for Medicare happened from December 2017 on.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
29 July 2025
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An Arizona woman has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for her role in a fraudulent scheme that helped North Koreans obtain remote IT positions at 309 US companies, including an unnamed member of the Fortune 500.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The former Oakland Raiders linebacker was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s shady military pal in Predator (1987) before landing his own macho action vehicle in Action Jackson (1988).—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
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Visitors will find 2,000 miles of shady hiking trails, 3,000 ponds and lakes with water originating from cool mountain peaks, 30,000 miles of fresh and often chilly rivers and streams and millions of acres of sun-filtering forests.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The bill would ban face coverings during public enforcement operations unless medically required or part of a covert investigation.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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The human touch is also crucial for ensuring accountability with agentic AI use, particularly for security considerations like accountability and distinguishing a genuine user from a covert threat.—
Imran Aftab,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Republicans are right to be terrified with their prospects in November 2025 and 2026; there is going to be a major reckoning for their chaotic, crooked, and extreme governance.—
James Skoufis,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
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National reporters and true crime junkies dug in, while local officials — already lacquered in scandal — looked so crooked a frame job seemed not just possible but probable.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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At the beginning of the season, host Alan Cumming picks the Traitors that will pit the Faithful against each other by murdering them one by one while trying to remain undercover.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
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Ogles cited an undercover video obtained by conservative news website Townhall which appears to show a university employee discussing the school’s Office of Hope, Unity, and Belonging.—
Ruben Montoya,
The Tennessean,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Underhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underhanded. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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