heavy-handed
adjective
heavy-hand·ed
ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: clumsy
2
: oppressive, harsh
heavy-handedly
adverb
heavy-handedness
noun
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
Above all, perhaps, the domination of EU regulatory thinking by the precautionary principle has led to heavy-handed regulation under which tradeoffs and opportunity ...
—
David B. McGarry, National Review, 11 Mar. 2025
Although the symbolism is strong and the underlying themes might seem a little heavy-handed at times, given that the source material was originally written for the stage during a wholly troubling era not unlike our own, that’s forgivable.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
View Comments And the risks of taking such a heavy-handed and broad-based approach against such a large volume of goods (43% of all US imports) are just too great to sugarcoat, said Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Financial Group.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
This reflects uncertainty in the broader economy and the impact of Trump's heavy-handed policies.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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David B. McGarry, National Review, 11 Mar. 2025
Although the symbolism is strong and the underlying themes might seem a little heavy-handed at times, given that the source material was originally written for the stage during a wholly troubling era not unlike our own, that’s forgivable.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
View Comments And the risks of taking such a heavy-handed and broad-based approach against such a large volume of goods (43% of all US imports) are just too great to sugarcoat, said Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Financial Group.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
This reflects uncertainty in the broader economy and the impact of Trump's heavy-handed policies.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy-handed. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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