blunt instrument
noun
: an object without sharp edges or points that is used as a club
He was hit over the head with a blunt instrument.
Examples of blunt instrument in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Policymakers came to believe that trade sanctions were a blunt instrument that harmed ordinary civilians rather than the elites whose behavior they were intended to alter.
—
Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
That being said, relentless bombing of Gaza is a blunt instrument that has resulted in massive Palestinian casualties and likely minimally impacted the Hamas terror organization.
—Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
Nostalgia has been offered as a blunt instrument of explanation for both Brexit and Trump.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
In a post on Facebook, William Poole said he was struck on the eye with a blunt instrument and suffered lacerations, bruises, and stitches from the assault by young people trying to enter the couple’s second-floor residence.
—BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
The wireless emergency alerts are a bit of a blunt instrument, said Gridley.
—Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2023
The Freudian unconscious can be crude, a blunt instrument with which to make sense of everything from a bad day to irritation at a parent.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
Desire can also be a blunt instrument, a hammer clang to the heart.
—Kristen Arnett, Washington Post, 13 July 2023
Courts are split on the question of whether federal public-accommodations laws apply only to physical locations or not, but the analogy is there for both legislators and courts, and of course there is always the blunt instrument of the antitrust laws.
—Michael B. Mukasey, National Review, 9 May 2023
Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
That being said, relentless bombing of Gaza is a blunt instrument that has resulted in massive Palestinian casualties and likely minimally impacted the Hamas terror organization.
—Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
Nostalgia has been offered as a blunt instrument of explanation for both Brexit and Trump.
—Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
In a post on Facebook, William Poole said he was struck on the eye with a blunt instrument and suffered lacerations, bruises, and stitches from the assault by young people trying to enter the couple’s second-floor residence.
—BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
The wireless emergency alerts are a bit of a blunt instrument, said Gridley.
—Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 18 July 2023
The Freudian unconscious can be crude, a blunt instrument with which to make sense of everything from a bad day to irritation at a parent.
—Gillian Silverman, The New Yorker, 15 July 2023
Desire can also be a blunt instrument, a hammer clang to the heart.
—Kristen Arnett, Washington Post, 13 July 2023
Courts are split on the question of whether federal public-accommodations laws apply only to physical locations or not, but the analogy is there for both legislators and courts, and of course there is always the blunt instrument of the antitrust laws.
—Michael B. Mukasey, National Review, 9 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blunt instrument.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Blunt instrument.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blunt%20instrument. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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