Backhand and Forehand

Opposite meaning words

Backhand adjective - (of racket strokes) made across the body with back of hand facing direction of stroke.

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Forehand is an antonym for backhand.

Nearby Words: backhanded, backhander

Forehand adjective - (of racket strokes) made with palm facing direction of stroke.

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Backhand is an antonym for forehand.

Nearby Word: forehanded

A good tactic in rallies is to hit to the opponent's backhand as it is (usually) weaker than the forehand.

Source: The Southpaw
In particular, it has helped him become the only player in the world to consistently beat Roger Federer (arguably the greatest player of all time), because Federer's one handed backhand is vulnerable to Nadal's lefty forehand.

Source: I Am Not Left-Handed
Add this to the fact that rallies usually involve more cross court shots than down-the-line, and you can easily end up stuck in a situation where you are playing from the backhand straight into the opponent's forehand every time.

Source: The Southpaw

Cite this Source

Forehand and Backhand. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/backhand/forehand

Backhand & Forehand. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/backhand/forehand>.

Forehand or Backhand. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/backhand/forehand.

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