1
as in clumsiness
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2
as in oppressiveness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heavy-handedness
Granted, there was a lot to criticize in my writing, which was suffering from all sorts of problems, from structural incoherence to insufficient character development to—yes—didactic heavy-handedness that broke the reader’s immersion.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The Hims & Hers ad is shrewd in its heavy-handedness.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Beijing was selected over Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the 2022 host city after four other candidates, including Oslo and Stockholm, withdrew citing costs, high public opposition and IOC heavy-handedness.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The Hims & Hers ad is shrewd in its heavy-handedness.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Beijing was selected over Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the 2022 host city after four other candidates, including Oslo and Stockholm, withdrew citing costs, high public opposition and IOC heavy-handedness.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handedness
Noun
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The tree, which graces a botanical garden, bears patient witness to all manner of human clumsiness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
For Perssonatti, the disease is more about fatigue, brain fog, word salad, and clumsiness.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Only when Bouzid deals with the repercussions of homophobic Tunisian laws does the melodrama tip into ham-handedness.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Concrete and glass meet at sharp angles, while a curved courtyard wall softens the harshness.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Apr. 2026
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Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That could have been part of the Sabres’ relative inexperience in the playoffs, too.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
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Inspector Paul Algie of Queensland Police said that speed was the most likely cause of the crash but added that the driver's inexperience was also likely a factor, according to the Australian Associated Press.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Mikey Madison does a stellar job of switching back and forth between homicidal malevolence and victimhood, going straight for pity whenever Amber is cornered.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
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Almost: Childhood is both bliss and terror, and the Richard D. James Album takes care to wrap malevolence and innocence tightly into the same steel coil.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s petulance, meanness, and willingness to punish a religious institution for its Church’s moral witness is a warning to every faith community in America.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
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Would there be perpetual meanness and the absence of kindness toward each other as human beings?—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These surrenders might occur because of unpreparedness or life changes.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handedness. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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