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
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
That’s not what’s happening here; these are heavy-handed slashings by a man who fundamentally does not understand or respect the functions of the agencies under his stewardship.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Some of Noboa’s heavy-handed crime-fighting tactics have come under scrutiny for testing the limits of laws and norms of governing.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Scott, who wrote the episode, is really good at taking us to the heavy-handed moments, getting us there, and then finding a way to lighten it up really quickly with some sort of quip, which that scene also does.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
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Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
That’s not what’s happening here; these are heavy-handed slashings by a man who fundamentally does not understand or respect the functions of the agencies under his stewardship.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Some of Noboa’s heavy-handed crime-fighting tactics have come under scrutiny for testing the limits of laws and norms of governing.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Scott, who wrote the episode, is really good at taking us to the heavy-handed moments, getting us there, and then finding a way to lighten it up really quickly with some sort of quip, which that scene also does.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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