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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heavy-handed
Despite widespread condemnation by some world leaders of Israel's heavy-handed retaliation against Hamas, the United States continues to provide funding for the 21-month-long conflict.
—
Alana Wise, NPR, 12 July 2025
As it’s become part of the Foundation formula, part of how the script achieves this is by balancing the heavy-handed world-building with both levity and grand spectacle.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The therapy gets a little heavy-handed in the protracted final stretch.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Buried under heavy-handed shots of children awaiting Superman's salvation, scientifically opaque explanations of a pocket universe, and an ensemble of characters large enough to populate a Kansas small town, there are flickers of a good, maybe even great, movie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Alana Wise, NPR, 12 July 2025
As it’s become part of the Foundation formula, part of how the script achieves this is by balancing the heavy-handed world-building with both levity and grand spectacle.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The therapy gets a little heavy-handed in the protracted final stretch.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Buried under heavy-handed shots of children awaiting Superman's salvation, scientifically opaque explanations of a pocket universe, and an ensemble of characters large enough to populate a Kansas small town, there are flickers of a good, maybe even great, movie.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for heavy-handed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handed
Adjective
-
The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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And Hank’s own clumsy attempts at hypermasculine child-rearing often come from his father, Cotton (Toby Huss).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
7 July 2025
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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
-
For example, in sales, if a customer wants a certain number of licenses but has a strict budget, an agent can help figure out the best deal by looking at things like license count, budget limits and different contract lengths (like one-, two- or three-year terms).—
Ian Gotts,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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Anna Marson, a former Tuscany regional minister who now teaches urban planning at a university in Venice, was closely involved in putting forward a plan to impose stricter environmental regulations on the region’s marble quarries in 2014.—
Meara Sharma,
The Dial,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
The house was a little awkward and needed some work, including in the living room, which had a mix of original wood flooring and vinyl.—
Thomas Fuller,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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Yet that has led to an awkward UX for those who lean into portrait mode.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
North Korea is under sanctions from the United States — as well as the United Nations and several other countries — largely in response to the isolated authoritarian state's weapons programs.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
25 July 2025
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While Western democracies debate environmental reviews and grid reliability, authoritarian systems can rapidly direct energy flows to computing infrastructure.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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The trio had no phone signal to call for help, due to being so far down in the cave, and so Kate made the tough decision to leave the boys to find help.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Ozzy Osbourne shared 3 children with first wife Thelma Riley The father of six children over two marriages, Osbourne has been vocal about how rigorous touring and alcohol use affected his family life.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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The 22-year-old flew to the United States and went through the DCC’s rigorous tryouts, eventually becoming one of six new rookies to join the 36-member squad, out of thousands who auditioned.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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However, the slow collision of Ray’s two worlds unfolds with the stern casualness of two business acquaintances meeting for dinner.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 July 2025
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Bill Pogue’s family and friends knew him as a thoughtful, deeply sensitive man, despite his reputation as a gruff, stern, wildlife officer.—
Jim Zumbo,
Outdoor Life,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heavy-handed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handed. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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