heavy-handedness

noun

1
as in clumsiness

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2
as in oppressiveness

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heavy-handedness Granted, there was a lot to criticize in my writing, which was suffering from all sorts of problems, from structural incoherence to insufficient character development to—yes—didactic heavy-handedness that broke the reader’s immersion. — Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026 Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness. — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026 The Hims & Hers ad is shrewd in its heavy-handedness. — Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026 Beijing was selected over Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the 2022 host city after four other candidates, including Oslo and Stockholm, withdrew citing costs, high public opposition and IOC heavy-handedness. — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heavy-handedness
  1. clumsiness
  2. harshness
  3. ham-handedness
  4. malevolence
  5. inexperience
  6. meanness
  7. crudeness
  8. maliciousness
Noun
  • Not for the first time, the president’s clumsiness is likely to negate his malevolence, though not without considerable cost, in time and money, to Comey.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Let a hypothermic victim get some sleep After the shivering, confusion, slurred speech, and clumsiness of hypothermia have manifested, an exposure victim also gets drowsy.
    — Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 15 July 2026
Definition of clumsiness
Noun
  • Pool/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images Grief, loneliness, and the harshness of Eton’s education put Harry to the test.
    — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Reparations are about exercising a radical vision, thinking beyond the harshness of life, and knowing that something better is possible.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
Definition of harshness
Noun
  • This journalistic cynicism amid government ham-handedness shattered something precious too.
    — Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Only when Bouzid deals with the repercussions of homophobic Tunisian laws does the melodrama tip into ham-handedness.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of ham-handedness
Noun
  • But not even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—played here, with unnerving malevolence by Andrew Garfield—is the movie’s star character.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Not malevolence but thoughtlessness was behind Eichmann’s deeds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of malevolence
Noun
  • Two-time champion DeWanna Bonner’s extensive postseason experience — her 100 WNBA playoff games are the most in history — does help offset the team’s overall inexperience.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • As Clark mentioned, her relative playoff inexperience is somewhat surprising for a player of her caliber.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of inexperience
Noun
  • Don’t give in to that meanness, and that false belief in scarcity.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Amid so much belabored meanness, meager appeals to conscience scan more like self-conscious obligation, easily subsumed by impotence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of meanness
Noun
  • There’s some rudeness, aggressive conversations, and crudeness, but nothing too over the top.
    — Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of crudeness
Noun
  • Rather than pursuing code maliciousness, limit code behavior regarding networking calls, file accesses and memory execution.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Definition of maliciousness

Browse Nearby Words

heavy-handed
heavy-handedness
heavyhearted
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Cite this Entry

“Heavy-handedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heavy-handedness. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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