He defused the awkward silence with a string of backwards compliments, praising their quirks by framing them as surprising strengths.

She learned to brush off pseudo-compliments and focus on genuine praise.

The chef sent over a small plate of truffle risotto, compliments of the house.

Her remarks sounded like back-handed compliments, leaving him unsure whether she was joking or insulting him.

When she said my cooking was surprisingly edible, it sounded like a back-handed compliment.

At the meeting, his left-handed compliments undermined her confidence despite sounding like praise.

When she said my report was "surprisingly coherent," I knew it was a left-handed compliment.

The teacher spoke complimentingly about her student's progress to encourage more effort.