backhanded

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.

He knows that “Marty Supreme” holds an unflattering mirror up to his own drive and allows that to become its own backhanded compliment to the thrill of watching an actor chase success at all costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

That No 10 feels the need to criticise the Greens is a backhanded compliment that shows they matter.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Last Thanksgiving was full of backhanded compliments and pointed remarks.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 27, 2025

In a 1919 review of a pair of books by Theodore Dreiser, Virginia Woolf issued some exquisitely backhanded praise for the Indiana-born author, whose writing, she thought, stood out for its roughness and vitality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

This is what one calls a backhanded compliment.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman