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
Trump's public approval rating on immigration fell to 43% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in August from a high of 50% in March as Americans took an increasingly dim view of his heavy-handed tactics against migrants.
—
Ted Hesson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The President, for the most part, has urged calm, but law enforcement officials have responded with heavy-handed crackdowns on protesters, fueling even more backlash.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
And frequent appearances by a pigeon that perches on her windowsill like a Greek chorus, mocking her self-abasement and growing detachment from reality, seem a tad heavy-handed.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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Ted Hesson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
The President, for the most part, has urged calm, but law enforcement officials have responded with heavy-handed crackdowns on protesters, fueling even more backlash.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
The falling soufflé as a symbol of the crumbling hotel is the kind of heavy-handed touch Solnicki rarely indulges.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
And frequent appearances by a pigeon that perches on her windowsill like a Greek chorus, mocking her self-abasement and growing detachment from reality, seem a tad heavy-handed.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 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 6 Sep. 2025.
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