1
as in harsh
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint
the new manager's heavy-handed approach soon had employees turning in their letters of resignation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
felt heavy-handed and awkward when holding the newborn infant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heavy-handed
These mandates may seem heavy-handed, but a quantum-capable adversary could topple networks or decrypt vast data troves overnight.
5.
—
Jason Nathaniel Ader, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
His approach infuriated some conservative Catholics, who saw him as a heavy-handed outsider.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
After a rough 2022 midterm cycle, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) altered the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) tactics so the party would take a more heavy-handed approach.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 20 Apr. 2025
The decision — coming about 13 hours after the president's latest tariff hikes went into effect — encouraged investors who had worried that a heavy-handed approach to trade would drive the U.S. into a recession and raise inflation.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Jason Nathaniel Ader, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
His approach infuriated some conservative Catholics, who saw him as a heavy-handed outsider.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
After a rough 2022 midterm cycle, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) altered the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) tactics so the party would take a more heavy-handed approach.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 20 Apr. 2025
The decision — coming about 13 hours after the president's latest tariff hikes went into effect — encouraged investors who had worried that a heavy-handed approach to trade would drive the U.S. into a recession and raise inflation.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handed
Adjective
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This recent New York Times piece highlights some of the harsh realities along with the misperceptions.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump has launched harsh immigration actions in his first 100 days in office—detaining more people for immigration violations, allowing arrests outside schools and courthouses, and sending more than 200 Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For those things that are bigger, or subject to rough forces like clumsy human hands, through-hole soldering is still required, with leads poked through a connective hole and solder applied to connect and join them securely.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2025
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The rubber sole is also important for clumsy gals like myself.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Known for his Marian devotion—which encourages piety and seeks the intercession of the Virgin Mary—and strict doctrinal stances, he is viewed as a potential challenger to Parolin, especially in early voting rounds and has odds of 7/1.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
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The Portuguese manager built his success by adhering to a strict 3-4-3 system at Sporting Lisbon.—
Brett Koremenos,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Bill Belichick’s daughter-in-law seems none too pleased with his girlfriend Jordon Hudson, shading the 24-year-old for her behavior during the Super Bowl winner’s awkward new CBS interview as former Patriots Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski defended Hudson.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2025
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The situation was made more awkward by the lack of support from anyone else at the table.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Singapore, for instance, is highly economically free but sharply socially authoritarian.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
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To his critics, his centralization of power and ruthless purge of opponents put Malaysia on an authoritarian trajectory.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Published in English, Tehelka had a small circulation but an outsized reputation for tough investigations.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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Jimmie Woods-Gray, a member of the city’s fire commission, said that cutting the Equity Bureau is a necessary step in a tough budget year.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Every debt-relief product review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of debt-relief products.—
Dana Miranda,
CNBC,
29 Apr. 2025
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This month, a study found that the people who’d participated in a rigorous diet-and-exercise program in the late nineteen-nineties, as Bryant did, were substantially less likely to develop diabetes decades later.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The president shared no caption alongside the image, which depicts him sitting with a stern expression and holding up one finger while wearing white and gold papal attire, including a large cross necklace.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
3 May 2025
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However, none will have criminal records after their cases are adjudicated, under a deal the district attorney offered during a stern press conference on Tuesday.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handed. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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