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
Memes documenting the backhanded—if well-intentioned—line popped up instantaneously.
—
Lindy Segal, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2024
Draisaitl was the beneficiary of a beautiful, backhanded pass from Darnell Nurse to further extend the lead before veteran Corey Perry scored from distance.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
On a similar note, Sweet Tea’s comments about Quad’s new man feel a bit backhanded, especially considering she was once married to her current husband.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 9 Dec. 2024
Holland explained how fellow Spider-Man star and girlfriend Zendaya was useful in a sort of backhanded way.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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The bathroom stood out with a double vanity, a large walk-in shower, L’Occitane bath products, and generous lighting for easy primping.—
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What is the Resolute Desk? Gifted to former President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880, the Resolute Desk is a double pedestal partner's desk made from oak timbers of the British Shop HMS Resolute, according to The White House Historical Association.—
Adjective
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Here are the best fake car ads and parodies celebrating SNL's 50th anniversary.—
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Read More: The 22 Most Controversial Saturday Night Live Moments Best Ad Break Over the show’s five decades, SNL has created ads for some memorably fake products.—
Adjective
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For lip color, reach for the Merit Beauty Signature lipsticks.—
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While lip reading is commonly used as a way for those with hearing disabilities to understand speech and conversations, it’s also called upon for legal matters and police investigations.—
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.—
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What most activates Dunn’s rage is the misogyny that only deepened amid all the pretended freedoms of the counterculture.—
Adjective
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine won Vladimir Putin a certain admiration in countries of the global South, as well as among MAGA Americans, while Joe Biden’s appeals to democratic values seemed pallid and hypocritical.—
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But the weekly shows cut much deeper by undermining trust in the process and repeatedly placing the committee chair in position to look hypocritical from one week to the next.—
Adjective
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Honest criticism is rude, and insincere praise is — well, insincere.—
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Don’t force trendy slang that feels insincere for your brand.—
Adjective
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The consequences are often deeply personal: sleepless nights, strained relationships and a constant sense of unease about who’s watching.—
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The Sea Lions should get deeper before the playoffs with the return of 6-8 senior forward Wynton Brown, who has missed most of the past two weeks with a strained elbow ligament.—
Adjective
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His estranged daughter Alexandra (Lizzy Caplan), a Congresswoman whose superficial resemblance to a real-life New York City politician with nearly the same name isn’t the least bit coincidental, is never around.—
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These meaningful relationships can open doors, provide support and inspire growth in ways that superficial connections simply can’t match.—
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Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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