1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
the manager displayed a high-handed demeanor that increasingly demoralized the members of his staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arbitrary
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
that country club tends to be rather high-handed about whom they let in and whom they shut out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of high-handed
His populist policies won strong support among poorer voters, particularly in the rural north and northeast, but his popularity and sometimes high-handed style created deep fractures between his base and the country’s urban elites, royalists and the military.
—
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Her work is very philosophical without feeling high-handed.
—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
But his high-handed, arbitrary seizure of power may have permanently scarred the system of careful checks and balances meant to keep government at all levels accountable to the people.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Aug. 2025
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Her work is very philosophical without feeling high-handed.
—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
But his high-handed, arbitrary seizure of power may have permanently scarred the system of careful checks and balances meant to keep government at all levels accountable to the people.
—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high-handed
Adjective
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West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
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Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
Adjective
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Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia's police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
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Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia’s police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Cite this Entry
“High-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high-handed. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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