Lehman and Paisley gained a reputation as being somewhat heavy-handed as managers, but effective at slashing red tape.

Ms. Tallent's handling of these scenes is somewhat heavy-handed, for the reader is constantly aware that she's standing in the background, manipulating information.

"Somewhat heavy-handed," he said.

The current was strong and I was being somewhat heavy-handed.

Although the climaxes have a visceral excitement, the overall effect is somewhat heavy-handed.

Rodrigo's least successful concerto is the "Concierto Heroico" for piano (1942), a somewhat heavy-handed work that strives vainly for grandeur.

In Mr. Wiesel's own novels, this tension, combined with his didactic impulse to make philosophical points, can result in highly schematic and somewhat heavy-handed storytelling.

Matthiessen's use of an imagined Jack Watson as a motif gets somewhat heavy-handed after a while.

And the interiors of the Boston Harbor Hotel are luxurious, but somewhat heavy-handed, with a restaurant whose design is in grim contrast to its spectacular water views.

Due to the original story nature of La Fortune des Rougon, the theories are placed much more to the fore, and can appear somewhat heavy-handed as a result.