backhand
Americannoun
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a stroke, slap, etc., made with the palm of the hand turned toward the body and the back of the hand turned in the direction of the stroke, slap, etc.
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(in tennis, squash, etc.) a stroke made from the side of the body opposite to that of the hand holding the racket, paddle, etc.
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handwriting that slopes toward the left.
adjective
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(in tennis, squash, etc.) of, relating to, or noting a stroke made from the side of the body opposite to that of the hand holding the racket, paddle, etc.
adverb
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with the back of the hand.
He hit him backhand across the face.
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from across the body; backhanded.
She returned the ball backhand on the first serve.
verb (used with object)
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to strike with the back of the hand.
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to hit, produce, or accomplish with a backhand.
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to catch (a ball or the like) backhanded.
noun
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sport
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a stroke made across the body with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke
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( as modifier )
a backhand return
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the side on which backhand strokes are made
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handwriting slanting to the left
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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backhandsimple
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backhandssimple
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have backhandedperfect
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has backhandedperfect
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am backhandingprogressive
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are backhandingprogressive
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is backhandingprogressive
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have been backhandingperfect progressive
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has been backhandingperfect progressive
Past
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backhandedsimple
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had backhandedperfect
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was backhandingprogressive
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were backhandingprogressive
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had been backhandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of backhand
Explanation
A backhand is when you hit a ball with a racket or paddle with your arm across your body and the back of your hand facing the ball. Some tennis players find it challenging to hit a backhand. You can use the word backhand as a noun or an adjective, to describe a stroke in tennis, squash, or any other sport that involves a racket. When backhand is a verb, it can mean to hit the ball this way, but it more often means to hit or slap someone with the back of your hand. The tennis stroke meaning has been around since the 1650s.
Vocabulary lists containing backhand
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Having taken a bathroom break before the second set, a re-energised Gauff returned with more aggression, and she eventually found a way past Muchova on her ninth break point with a sublime cross-court backhand winner.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
A missed backhand from Federer left Nadal just two points from the title at 5-2 - but the Swiss won the next four points, including a double fault from the Spaniard.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
After unleashing a superb backhand winner from an acute angle off the court, she broke into a broad grin and spread her arms out in a gesture that suggested she was surprising even herself.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
The Sparks narrowed the deficit to one by halftime following an Ogwumike three-pointer and backhand layup late in the second.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
I knocked his hand away with a quick backhand swipe that every girl should master.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
The man’s service might be questionable, but his backhands are unparalleled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
One professional, Isaac Rose-Berman, gives an example of his methods: He saw that left-handed servers in tennis, more often than not, win a point against right-handed opponents with weak backhands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
The players who enjoy heavy top-spin on their forehands - like Kartal - often also enjoy hitting their slice backhands.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025
“The backhands kind of let me down, to be honest,” Djokovic said.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 16, 2023
And Reggie lost the next game through a mix of unforced errors and weak backhands.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
That No 10 feels the need to criticise the Greens is a backhanded compliment that shows they matter.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
The most backhanded of backhanded compliments is paid to reporter Seymour Hersh during the documentary “Cover-Up,” and by the unlikeliest of sources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
Last Thanksgiving was full of backhanded compliments and pointed remarks.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 27, 2025
Classics YouTube channel, though these are mostly — maybe entirely — extracted highlights rather than full cartoons, which is its own kind of backhanded insult.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2025
This is what one calls a backhanded compliment.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Carlsson then evened things at 3-3 less than two minutes later, backhanding the puck over Canuck goalie Nikita Tolopilo while skating away from the crease for his 29th goal of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026
Fiala evened the scored with 1:06 remaining in the middle frame, backhanding in a rebound after Markstrom could not control Anze Kopitar’s initial shot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
Just over two minutes later, Alexis Lafrenière made the play of the night — faking a shot between his legs before backhanding the puck past Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper to make it 2-0.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 2, 2023
The Bruins captain added another goal about three minutes later, backhanding in a rebound from the slot.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2022
Verhaeghe scored the game-winner just 2:46 into overtime, backhanding a shot into the back of the net to leave Samsonov lying on the ice in disbelief and Capitals fans stunned.
From Washington Times ● May 13, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
