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.
That might be a little heavy-handed when a simple talking-to, or a vote-whipping operation that’s more on top of things, could suffice.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
The film "mucks up Orwell", according to the Wall Street Journal,, external who surmised: "As comedy, the movie is feeble, and as allegory for the socioeconomically literate it is heavy-handed."
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
At times his project was hampered by his heavy-handed approach to retaining power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
The staging could do without the underscoring that becomes heavy-handed in the play’s later stages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 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
