How to Use heavy hand in a Sentence

heavy hand

noun
  • This gives you both time and room to swing with a heavy hand and drive those hooks in.
    — Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 25 Apr. 2023
  • The heavy hand of the state is also driving investors away.
    — Sadek Wahba, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
  • And have a really heavy hand in her legacy.
    — Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Like many first-time novelists, Bear drives home her points with a heavy hand.
    — Wendy Smith, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Some people dot their words with them, like an overzealous cook with a heavy hand on the salt shaker.
    — John Kelly, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023
  • The regime has taken a heavy hand in response to the latest street actions.
    — Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Foreign Affairs, 4 Dec. 2019
  • Without a heavy hand, Lelo shines a light on his hometown.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Use a heavy hand for more opacity, and trace lightly for a blurry finish.
    — Annie Blackman, Allure, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The technique is dead simple (all by hand) and takes a delightfully heavy hand with spices.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
  • But Putin’s heavy hand also runs the risk of spurring more dissatisfaction.
    — Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022
  • Many fear what his disappearance says about Beijing’s heavy hand in business.
    — Li Yuan, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2023
  • Tkachuk had a heavy hand in getting the Panthers to the doorstep of their ultimate goal in Year 1.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 June 2024
  • Fast-forward to the following decade, when the gap-toothed gamine abandoned her heavy hand to embrace a more au naturel approach.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2025
  • The heavy hand of sesame and sunflower seeds brings a savory balance, while cashews, pumpkin seeds, and pecans add fatty richness.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2024
  • The heavy hand of sesame and sunflower seeds brings a savory balance, while cashews, pumpkin seeds, and pecans add fatty richness.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2024
  • Nagata plays the heavy hand, asking why Sam never told them the gunmen at her club had matching tattoos.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2024
  • Diet culture has also had a heavy hand in perpetuating the idea that the veggie is a low- or no-calorie food.
    — Audrey Bruno, SELF, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Where Democrats see a heavy hand, Republicans see owners trying to balance the scales.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • But there is one major ingredient that isn't often associated with a heavy hand of smoke -- eggs.
    — Chuck Blount, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Mar. 2023
  • These political themes are rendered with a heavy hand by the filmmakers and carry few surprises.
    — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2023
  • However, those prone to acne should use glycerin sparingly and cautiously, since a heavy hand can leave the skin feeling greasy.
    — Elise Tabin, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Mar. 2023
  • At Adelina, dishes can be pale and often messy, punched up with a heavy hand of irrelevant garnishes.
    — Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press, 2 June 2024
  • Yes, but the finished product is a marvelous example of decorating without a heavy hand.
    — Robert Rufino, ELLE Decor, 4 Apr. 2023
  • Contemporary commentary on central and eastern Europe tends to come down with a heavy hand.
    — Ireneusz Pawel Karolewski, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2016
  • New pressure on protesters The state didn’t use such a heavy hand when students held political walkouts in the past.
    — Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Fu’s bosses in Beijing cannot have been too pleased to have China’s heavy hand blatantly exposed to no purpose.
    — Bilahari Kausikan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
  • Solich and his brother Duffy, who also has a heavy hand in the academy, were both Evans Scholars.
    — Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2024
  • But here, King and Flanagan do it without a heavy hand on the macabre, even though the initial canvas is only a short-story format.
    — Jen Juneau, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • Though McKnight noted the company had a heavy hand in approving what ended up on screen, the movie didn’t feel like one long ad for the toy.
    — Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2023
  • Peanut butter raises thrive when the pendulum swings to an employer’s market—but Thomas cautions bosses against playing a heavy hand.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heavy hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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