heavy hand
noun
—used to say that something has been done without delicacy or with too much force
a cook who has a heavy hand with the salt
went at the task with a heavy hand
Examples of heavy hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the short term, head coach Kevin O’Connell and Flores, who have had a heavy hand in personnel decisions in past seasons, will continue to have a large say, according to team sources.
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Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
New pressure on protesters The state didn’t use such a heavy hand when students held political walkouts in the past.
—Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Peanut butter raises thrive when the pendulum swings to an employer’s market—but Thomas cautions bosses against playing a heavy hand.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Fast-forward to the following decade, when the gap-toothed gamine abandoned her heavy hand to embrace a more au naturel approach.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy hand
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Alec Lewis, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
New pressure on protesters The state didn’t use such a heavy hand when students held political walkouts in the past.
—Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Peanut butter raises thrive when the pendulum swings to an employer’s market—but Thomas cautions bosses against playing a heavy hand.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Fast-forward to the following decade, when the gap-toothed gamine abandoned her heavy hand to embrace a more au naturel approach.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy hand
Cite this Entry
“Heavy hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy%20hand. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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