underhand

[ uhn-der-hand ]

adjective

1. executed with the hand below the level of the shoulder and the palm turned upward and forward:

   an underhand delivery of a ball.

2. underhanded ( def 1 ):

   an underhand deal with the chief of police.

   Synonyms: surreptitious, clandestine, sly, stealthy

adverb

1. with the hand below the level of the shoulder and the palm turned upward and forward:

   to bowl underhand.

2. secretly; stealthily; slyly.

underhand

/ ˈʌndəˌhænd /

adjective

1. clandestine, deceptive, or secretive
2. sport another word for underarm

adverb

1. in an underhand manner or style

Word History and Origins

Origin of underhand¹

First recorded before 900; 1530–40 underhand fordef 2; Middle English adverb under honde “in one's possession, in one's charge, secretly,” Old English under hand, under hond(e) “in one's possession, in one's subjection, in one's power”; under-, hand

Example Sentences

Right now, there is: Intrigue, plotting, phone calls, quiet chats, guesswork and claims of underhand tactics.

From BBC

As he was leaving the field, a frustrated López hoisted his glove high into the air with an underhand toss.

From Los Angeles Times

"It makes me feel very sad, I trust everybody and I don't expect people to steal things or be underhand," she added.

From BBC

The eve of the election is known as Devil’s Night when candidates and their campaign teams are notorious for resorting to underhand means to skew results in their favor such as by buying votes.

From Seattle Times

Finally, the coach held a ball high over his head and announced: “Wouldn’t want anyone else in the world leading us,” and flipped an underhand pass to Stafford as the team erupted.

From Los Angeles Times