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underhanded

[uhn-der-han-did]
See more synonyms for underhanded on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. underhand.
  2. short-handed: By the time of the Navy game, Army usually finds itself underhanded.
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Origin of underhanded

First recorded in 1800–10; under- + handed
Related formsun·der·hand·ed·ly, adverbun·der·hand·ed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

deviouscheatingdishonestdeceitfulsneakysubversivewilyunscrupulousshadyfraudulentunethicalunderhandclandestinecorruptschemingsecretiveshiftyslyguilefulcovert

Examples from the Web for underhanded

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • How in the world did they get here, and what underhanded work are they up to now?

    Dave Porter and His Rivals

    Edward Stratemeyer

  • Literally to draw away from under, or in an underhanded way, as by stealth.

    Orthography

    Elmer W. Cavins

  • He had an innate dislike to the man, who looked furtive and underhanded.

    Quicksilver

    George Manville Fenn

  • You want to drive us out, do you, you sneakin' underhanded hound!

    Roughing It

    Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

  • Ef this ez any underhanded work of yours, you'll pay for it.

    Cressy

    Bret Harte

British Dictionary definitions for underhanded

underhanded

adjective
  1. another word for underhand, short-handed
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Derived Formsunderhandedly, adverbunderhandedness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for underhanded

adj.

in reference to a throw, etc., c.1822, from underhand. As "in secret," from 1825; as "with too few people," from 1834.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper