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Definition of "backhanded" []

  • Sports Made with or using a backhand: a backhanded shot into the opponent's court. (adjective)
  • Oblique or roundabout: a backhanded compliment. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "backhanded" in a sentence
  • "MATALIN: That's what we call a backhanded compliment, Lou."
  • "In what she calls a "backhanded compliment to bipartisanship," Karlyn Bowman of the American Enterprise Institute says the American public has given high marks to both George W. Bush and Barack Obama on the topic of terrorism."
  • "WASHINGTON (AP) - First, Alex Ovechkin backhanded a pass to himself off the boards to get around a defenseman at the blue line."