He complimented her on the neatness of her notes after the meeting.

He was complimenting his friend for finishing the marathon, even though he himself had never run more than five miles.

She received many Chinese compliments after her performance.

I learned to smile politely whenever I received backhanded compliments at the reunion.

He deflected praise with backward compliments that left everyone unsure whether to smile or frown.

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.

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