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
Every Best Picture nominee got its backhanded compliment.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
That faint praise is a backhanded tribute to the success of DEI campaigns, even as many Americans still scratch their heads in confusion over what DEI really is.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
Critics liked it well enough, but often in a backhanded way, calling it a very good television movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Tavares made a backhanded scoop, lifting the puck toward the front of the net.
—Julian McKenzie, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
That faint praise is a backhanded tribute to the success of DEI campaigns, even as many Americans still scratch their heads in confusion over what DEI really is.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
Critics liked it well enough, but often in a backhanded way, calling it a very good television movie.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Tavares made a backhanded scoop, lifting the puck toward the front of the net.
—Julian McKenzie, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
-
As Spain’s only double Oscar-qualifying animation festival, Animayo’s top honors serve as a launchpad to the Academy Awards.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
29 May 2025
-
She was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian immigrants and, as a teen, was an exceptional figure skater: one who could land double axels with a practiced ease that betrayed the intense commitment behind them.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Later, it's revealed that Phelps didn't die at all, and his fake death was a setup to frame Ethan.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
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Bad actors had cloned his voice to make fake 911 calls about emergencies at rival locations.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 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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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
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If that strikes you as a little suspicious, maybe even hypocritical, well, have both Bechdels got a book for you.—
Sam Thielman,
New York Times,
20 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
-
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
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Wallner, who has been on the injured list with a strained hamstring since mid-April, hit two home runs on Thursday in his first rehab game and had another three hits and three RBIs on Friday.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Full look: Burberry; socks: stylist’s own Gorka Postigo The phenomenon of celebrities speaking out about current events can sometimes feel superficial, but Ramsey is quick to affirm the opposite of Pascal.—
Peyton Dix,
Them.,
27 May 2025
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Some journalists refused to use AI for anything more than superficial interview transcription, while others use it broadly, to edit text, answer research questions, summarize large bodies of science text, or search massive troves of data for salient bits of information.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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