What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
underhand
Example
She threw the ball underhand to her teammate. [underhand: adjective]
Example
He used underhand tactics to win the election. [underhand: adjective]
Example
The company used underhand methods to avoid paying taxes. [underhand: adjective]
sneaky
Example
He was being sneaky and trying to peek at her phone. [sneaky: adjective]
Example
She made a sneaky move to steal the last piece of cake. [sneaky: adjective]
Example
The politician made a sneaky deal behind closed doors. [sneaky: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Sneaky is more commonly used than underhand in everyday language, while underhand is more commonly used in sports contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between underhand and sneaky?
Both underhand and sneaky are informal words, but underhand may be more appropriate in formal sports contexts.
