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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heavy-handed
Europe tried the heavy-handed approach with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.
—
Sandy Peng, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The team, one of Southern California’s most revered (and lucrative) institutions, caved last week amid a growing public outcry and committed $1 million to help families affected by the Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration policies.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Kevin Carter/Getty Images After years of inflation, high costs, and heavy-handed regulation, Main Street is ready for a comeback.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Sandy Peng, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
The team, one of Southern California’s most revered (and lucrative) institutions, caved last week amid a growing public outcry and committed $1 million to help families affected by the Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration policies.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Kevin Carter/Getty Images After years of inflation, high costs, and heavy-handed regulation, Main Street is ready for a comeback.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Some of the richest Gulf Arab countries, such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, will worry that the destabilizing effects of a heavy-handed regime change could stir their own sizable and restive Shia Muslim populations.
—Matt Bradley, NBC news, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handed
Adjective
-
The biggest change was the introduction of the punitive second apron, which imposed harsh team-building restrictions on teams that crossed said line.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
The mask fully blocks out the harsh cabin lighting and that inevitable sunrise glow before landing.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
And Hank’s own clumsy attempts at hypermasculine child-rearing often come from his father, Cotton (Toby Huss).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
-
Gone are are the days of clumsy imagery and texts and fake sign-in pages that can be detected in an instant.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Growing up in a strict Mennonite community in rural Ohio truly shaped my ethics and values.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 July 2025
-
That’s not the strict definition of doxxing because the post did not give Butker’s address.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Advertisement To illustrate this point, consider the best man at a wedding who, instead of celebrating the couple, shares personal stories that only serve to embarrass them, often with awkward details that have no place in such a tender moment.—
Matt Abrahams,
Time,
12 July 2025
-
An historic night at Madison Square Garden on Friday night turned into an awkward moment in the wee hours of Saturday morning at the Taylor-Serrano 3 post-fight press conference.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Whether Trump's death quelled or accelerated authoritarian forces remains an open question.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
-
All of these factors and their contribution to alienation can foster authoritarian beliefs and individualism.—
Nathan Meyers,
The Conversation,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
-
Morton, 43, may take that advice under serious consideration, mentioning how tough the fans – and even fellow cast members – have been on her following this past season’s cast trip to Grenada.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Freeform rolling carry-on was deemed the Best Overall Carry-on by Travel + Leisure after rounds of rigorous testing at our New York City lab.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
-
The loss of trustworthiness in the rigorous and nonpartisan work of the Task Force would devastate patients, hospital systems, and payers as misinformation creates barriers to accessing lifesaving and cost effective care.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
As the bow and stern sections tore free from one another, the ship’s contents were ejected and rained down across the ocean floor, dispersing everything from luggage and dinnerware to engine parts and personal belongings.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
-
The affable Carroll was the polar opposite of the stern hard-driving Parcells.—
Tribune Content Agency,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handed. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share