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.

According to French media, he told his "entourage" recently that "I may have been heavy-handed… but I always took no for an answer".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Brokers had grumbled for years that the rule was too heavy-handed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

But the heavy-handed use of “our,” “we” and “all” sends the message that, if you don’t agree with Rollins, you don’t fully count as a person, much less as a valued employee at USDA.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

On emissions, Linh said she believes “incentives and innovation will always outperform heavy-handed mandates.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“Y’all be gettin mad heavy-handed on the mayo. And put sweet peppers on there for me, my dude.”

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds