as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
much too ham-handed to use one of those tiny cell phones
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Recent Examples of ham-handed
Or public employee unions might put up the money, given that a Republican winner is likely to create a state version of Elon Musk’s ham-handed attempt to fire nearly everyone on the federal payroll.
—
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ham-handed
Adjective
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But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
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McGee meets one of a clumsy TURF intern Pete, who is revealed to be Olivia's 18-year-old son, Matteo (Patrick Keleher) under interrogation.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lock down the logistics first The fastest way to kill trip momentum is skipping the awkward conversations.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ham-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ham-handed. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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