heavy-handed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While most tech companies have pledged to abide by Australian laws, they have warned that the heavy-handed move could simply push teens to darker, less-regulated corners of the internet.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

If films about catastrophe often take a schematic, meet-the-victims approach to their opening scenes, Ms. Littman renders hers with persuasive vibrancy, too full of life to have room for heavy-handed portent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

And for all its heavy-handed writing and mystifying character flourishes, “Tow” manages to be mostly an effective, if silly, story of perseverance, thanks almost entirely to Byrne’s dogged performance.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

As mayor he was criticised by rights groups of using the police against street vendors in a heavy-handed manner, as he worked to keep roads clear in the capital and crack down on unlicensed businesses.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

The picture is not unlike Egypt today, where the government in Cairo keeps power by a combination of tactics, including management of local religious authorities that swerves between heavy-handed intimidation and cynical appeasement.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro