as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
that's a ham-fisted paint job if I ever saw one
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Recent Examples of ham-fisted
Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success.
—Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
American Primeval, Netflix’s most ambitious western series to date, is unusually explicit in its aim of exploring the latter theme, with results that range from astutely observant to ham-fisted and jarringly sentimental.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
At the same time, this might also be the most ham-fisted.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success.
—Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
American Primeval, Netflix’s most ambitious western series to date, is unusually explicit in its aim of exploring the latter theme, with results that range from astutely observant to ham-fisted and jarringly sentimental.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
For how ham-fisted this show can be, the parallels drawn between killer and victim are relatively subtle here.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success.
—Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
American Primeval, Netflix’s most ambitious western series to date, is unusually explicit in its aim of exploring the latter theme, with results that range from astutely observant to ham-fisted and jarringly sentimental.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
At the same time, this might also be the most ham-fisted.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025
Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success.
—Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025
American Primeval, Netflix’s most ambitious western series to date, is unusually explicit in its aim of exploring the latter theme, with results that range from astutely observant to ham-fisted and jarringly sentimental.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025
For how ham-fisted this show can be, the parallels drawn between killer and victim are relatively subtle here.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ham-fisted
Adjective
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These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Eddie's real parentage is revealed, Maeve is outed, Kevin catches up with Rusby, Bella brokers her deal, and Alice attends an awkward Harrigan dinner.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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There is also an awkward disconnect: Gmail’s recent encryption upgrade clashes with its AI upgrades.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ham-fisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ham-fisted. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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