heavy-handed
adjective
heavy-hand·ed
ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: clumsy
2
: oppressive, harsh
heavy-handedly
adverb
heavy-handedness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of heavy-handed in a Sentence
the new manager's heavy-handed approach soon had employees turning in their letters of resignation
felt heavy-handed and awkward when holding the newborn infant
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet the busing program is exposing the chasm between the Mexican government’s rhetoric promoting a humanitarian approach to migration, and the country’s role as a heavy-handed enforcer of U.S. border objectives, leaving many migrant families stranded to fend for themselves.
—
Paulina Villegas Luis Antonio Rojas, New York Times, 14 May 2024
The heavy-handed responses from Congress, donors and university administrators are concerning but not all that surprising.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024
This is widely viewed as an alternative to heavy-handed discipline and suspensions that can interfere with learning and increase the number of dropouts.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
The arrests have raised claims of heavy-handed police tactics to suppress largely peaceful demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
The message’s delivery method drew some community disapproval when staff members were joined by KCK police officers, an approach critics viewed as heavy-handed.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
Many schools that tolerated protests and other disruptions for months are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline.
—Jocelyn Gecker and Steve Leblanc, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2024
The move, which drew condemnation across the region, sent a message in line with Mr. Noboa’s heavy-handed approach to violence and graft.
—Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The pacing slackens somewhat around the two-thirds point, then rallies for separate climaxes sentimental (when Greg finally visits his father’s deathbed) and rousing (as the Grand Canyon is reached), both handled with moving restraint rather than heavy-handed melodrama or inspirational uplift.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
Paulina Villegas Luis Antonio Rojas, New York Times, 14 May 2024
The heavy-handed responses from Congress, donors and university administrators are concerning but not all that surprising.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 13 May 2024
This is widely viewed as an alternative to heavy-handed discipline and suspensions that can interfere with learning and increase the number of dropouts.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2024
The arrests have raised claims of heavy-handed police tactics to suppress largely peaceful demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
The message’s delivery method drew some community disapproval when staff members were joined by KCK police officers, an approach critics viewed as heavy-handed.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024
Many schools that tolerated protests and other disruptions for months are now doling out more heavy-handed discipline.
—Jocelyn Gecker and Steve Leblanc, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2024
The move, which drew condemnation across the region, sent a message in line with Mr. Noboa’s heavy-handed approach to violence and graft.
—Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The pacing slackens somewhat around the two-thirds point, then rallies for separate climaxes sentimental (when Greg finally visits his father’s deathbed) and rousing (as the Grand Canyon is reached), both handled with moving restraint rather than heavy-handed melodrama or inspirational uplift.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heavy-handed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near heavy-handed
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy-handed. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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