blunt instrument

collocation in English

meaningsofbluntandinstrument

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withinstrument.
blunt
adjective
uk
/blʌnt/us
/blʌnt/
A blunt pencil, knife, etc. is not sharp and therefore not able to write, cut, ...
See more atblunt
instrument
noun[C]
uk
/ˈɪn.strə.mənt/us
/ˈɪn.strə.mənt/
an object, such as a piano, guitar, or drum, that is played to produce ...
See more atinstrument

(Definition ofbluntandinstrumentfrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofblunt instrument

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
In this context the truth was a cruel,bluntinstrument.
From theCambridge English Corpus
In this objective, the jobber was theirbluntinstrument.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The reason is that restrictions on growth are a verybluntinstrumentfor environmental protection.
From theCambridge English Corpus
These questions have to do with the multiplication of conventions, perhaps beyond necessity, the nature of social usefulness, at present a verybluntinstrument, and the precise mechanics of self-perpetuation.
From theCambridge English Corpus
This pilot study has shown that knowledge gained from such a process can be useful to the class teacher, but that this is a fairly 'bluntinstrument' for doing so.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Admittedly, a payment scheme to reward off-farm work appears to be a ratherbluntinstrumentfor promoting environmental stewardship, especially when compared with a mechanism that targets soil conservation directly.
From theCambridge English Corpus
By leaving broad scope for the courts' free interpretation and discretion, the law has proved to be abluntinstrumentand created legal uncertainty.
FromEuroparl Parallel Corpus - English
It was an oldbluntinstrument.
FromEuroparl Parallel Corpus - English
Is not the way in which the tax has been introduced a thoroughlybluntinstrument?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We could have had another sort ofbluntinstrument.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is, admittedly, a somewhatbluntinstrument.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is such abluntinstrumentand is so widely drawn that it could pull into the provisions certain activities that are quite legitimate.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The standard spending assessment is abluntinstrument.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I regret that and the fact that we are having to have a debate today on abluntinstrument, the guillotine.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It can be got out when they want it, but it is still abluntinstrument.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is abluntinstrumentand does not work very fast.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The regional policy is abluntinstrumentand could be refined to distinguish areas with the economic planning regions.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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Go to the definition ofblunt
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See other collocations withinstrument