Definition Synonyms
Definition of underhand - Reverso English Dictionary
Adverb
1.
throwingwith the hand swung below shoulder level
- She pitched the ball underhand.
2.
slylyUK in a sly and secretive wayUK
- He acted underhand to gain the advantage.
Adjective
1.
deceptiveUK done in a secret and dishonest wayUK
- He used underhand tactics to win the game.
2.
sportsperformed with the hand below shoulder level
- She made an underhand throw during the match.
Expressions with underhand
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
dishonest action meant to deceive or cheat someone
He played an underhand trick to win the game.
quick downward hit with the hand
He scored with an underhand chop in the game.
hit a ball upwards from below the waist
She decided to serve underhand to surprise her opponent.
pass made with an upward motion from below the waist
She executed a perfect underhand pass during the game.
Origin of underhand
English, under (beneath) + hand (control)
Terms with underhand included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
sports
toss a softball underhand
politics
underhand actions in political affairs
underhand act
mean or underhanded action meant to hurt or deceive
unfair tactic
underhand or unfair in a game
betrayal
betray in an underhand way
politics
underhand actions to discredit an opponent
competition
ruthlessly competitive or underhand in behavior
sports
basketball shot thrown underhand from below the waist
sports
serve hit with an underhand motion
criticism
make critical or underhand remarks
criticism
making critical or underhand remarks
baseball
pitch thrown with an underhand motion
sports
basketball shot made underhand
football
underhand pass from center to punter
american football
throw the ball underhand to the punter
court play
basketball shot using an underhand scooping motion
baseball
pitch thrown with an underhand motion
sports
baseball pitcher using an underhand throw
Examples of underhand in a sentence
The coach demonstrated how to pass the ball underhand. She dealt with the situation underhand to avoid detection. They negotiated underhand to secure the deal. Her underhand methods were eventually exposed. They made an underhand deal behind closed doors. He used an underhand serve in tennis.
The underhand pitch surprised the batter.
View all translations of underhand
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:en sous-main, sournois, ...
- German:unterhand, heimtückisch, ...
- Italian:dal basso, subdolo, ...
- Spanish:por debajo del hombro, subrepticio, ...
- Portuguese:por baixo, desonesto, ...
- Chinese:下挥, 卑鄙的, ...
- Japanese:アンダーハンドで, 陰険な, ...
- Arabic:مِن أَسْفَل, مخادِع, ...
- Hebrew:מִלְּמַטָּה, נַכְלוּלִי, ...
- Russian:снизу, коварный, ...
- Ukrainian:знизу, підступний, ...
- Hindi:नीचे से, गुप्त, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the