heavy-handed
adjective
heavy-hand·ed
ˈhe-vē-ˈhan-dəd 
1
: clumsy
2
: oppressive, harsh
heavy-handedly
adverb
heavy-handedness
noun
Synonyms
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
Before the Gaza war, Israel already faced widespread criticism over its heavy-handed occupation of Palestinians.
—
Greg Myre, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Former light heavyweight kickboxing world champion Almeida faced heavy-handed knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan, and had to battle through adversity after being dropped mid-way through the opening round of their middleweight contest at the UFC APEX.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Palestinian citizens’ rights For Palestinian citizens of Israel, the heavy-handed police stifling of dissent is nothing new.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
Bukele is immensely popular, largely because his heavy-handed security efforts have eviscerated the country’s street gangs.
—Gisela Salomon, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
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Greg Myre, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
Former light heavyweight kickboxing world champion Almeida faced heavy-handed knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan, and had to battle through adversity after being dropped mid-way through the opening round of their middleweight contest at the UFC APEX.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Palestinian citizens’ rights For Palestinian citizens of Israel, the heavy-handed police stifling of dissent is nothing new.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2025
Bukele is immensely popular, largely because his heavy-handed security efforts have eviscerated the country’s street gangs.
—Gisela Salomon, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Dictionary Entries Near heavy-handed
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy-handed. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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