1
as in clumsiness
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2
as in oppressiveness
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Recent Examples of heavy-handedness
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
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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O’Hara sinks into the role, embracing the inherent clumsiness of community theater while celebrating its flaws.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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On immigration enforcement—Trump’s signature issue—the brutality and clumsiness of the mass-deportation campaign has decreased public support for the president’s agenda and increased the number of Americans who strongly disapprove of ICE.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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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Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Glenn exchanged inexperience for veteran coaches such as offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
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The 2025 version of Waxahachie only had five seniors on the roster, leading to inexperience and mistakes early on.—
Ishmael Johnson,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Wuthering Heights simultaneously puts too much malevolence on Nelly’s shoulders while also making her final decisions sort of nonsensical, even ambiguous.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 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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These surrenders might occur because of unpreparedness or life changes.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Comment sections have always attracted hatefulness and resentment; these ones just happen to encourage it more explicitly.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handedness. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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