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’s not a backhanded compliment but an argument in favor of streamers taking risks on untested talent (hopefully even those without a famous parent).
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Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
Will, the outrageously arrogant master of the backhanded compliment, brings out the jealous streak in his brother, who’s taken aback by Will’s unscheduled return from Los Angeles under secretive circumstances.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2024
At first glance, the passthrough prohibition resembles a backhanded attempt at price controls, which are distasteful for a variety of reasons.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
The group also gave a backhanded boost to Bailey’s candidacy by funding TV ads that made Bailey simultaneously more attractive to conservative Republican primary voters and less attractive to the more moderate general Illinois electorate.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backhanded 
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2024
Will, the outrageously arrogant master of the backhanded compliment, brings out the jealous streak in his brother, who’s taken aback by Will’s unscheduled return from Los Angeles under secretive circumstances.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2024
At first glance, the passthrough prohibition resembles a backhanded attempt at price controls, which are distasteful for a variety of reasons.
—Robert Goulder, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024
The group also gave a backhanded boost to Bailey’s candidacy by funding TV ads that made Bailey simultaneously more attractive to conservative Republican primary voters and less attractive to the more moderate general Illinois electorate.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backhanded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhanded
Adjective
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Get The Recipe 02 of 21 Fried Chicken Wings This dish uses the classic double dredge method that is so tried and true for many Southern cooks.Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
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The double suites, with a sleeper sofa in the living room, are especially ideal for families whose children still nap or who have multiple kids so not everyone has to sit in darkness come a certain time of day.Esther Carlstone, Parents, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Irish also converted a fake field goal against Georgia Tech, covertly swapping holders from Chris Salerno to Tyler Buchner.Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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The stock surged earlier this year after regulators lifted a key penalty tied to its 2016 fake accounts scandal.Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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.Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024
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Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent.Scott LaFee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
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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And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
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If an organization’s culture is aspirational rather than lived and practiced, the result is often a hypocritical, inauthentic hiring experience.Lori Landrum, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Personalization is key to effective cold emailing, but doing it wrong can make your emails feel insincere or even drive people away.Samuel Darwin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Carolyn Hax: Do superlative compliments start to feel insincere?Washington Post, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
Adjective
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This show feels very, very real to me, having gone through my own period of personal crisis, leading to my own strained relationship with my daughter who is the same age as Alice, and struggling to come out the other side.Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
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These unsafe conditions can also lead to strained relationships.Sarah Boden, NPR, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Not like those nasty authoritarian regimes (which actually do take in a lot of migrants in some cases, just ones whose diversity contribution isn’t as superficial).Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 28 Dec. 2024
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Causes of Burn Blisters Burn blisters are caused by second-degree superficial burns that cause a wound on the skin.Laura Schober, Health, 27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Backhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhanded. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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