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
The protests resulted in scores of civilian deaths amid a heavy-handed response from Kenyan police.
—
Larry Madowo, CNN, 12 July 2024
The heavy-handed attempt to force Biden to quit the race after his disastrous debate has, predictably, backfired.
—Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
And in a liberal city, local brands put their reputations at stake if the masses perceive them as heavy-handed toward unions.
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 10 July 2024
Most of the makeup videos that come across my feed these days are about ditching the traditional style of undereye concealer—usually lighter than one’s natural skin tone and oft heavy-handed—in favor of embracing the natural shadow of the undereye.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for heavy-handed 
Larry Madowo, CNN, 12 July 2024
The heavy-handed attempt to force Biden to quit the race after his disastrous debate has, predictably, backfired.
—Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 12 July 2024
And in a liberal city, local brands put their reputations at stake if the masses perceive them as heavy-handed toward unions.
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 10 July 2024
Most of the makeup videos that come across my feed these days are about ditching the traditional style of undereye concealer—usually lighter than one’s natural skin tone and oft heavy-handed—in favor of embracing the natural shadow of the undereye.
—Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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 27 Jul. 2024.
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