as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
a long-handled wrench that is too cumbersome for tight spots, such as under the sink
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Recent Examples of cumbersome
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Advocates for transgender prisoners say that more trans women should be housed in women’s units, but so few are in part because approval for such transfers is already difficult and cumbersome.
—
Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Previously, the process by which digital publishers had to file for copyright protections for individual works was extremely cumbersome, limiting their ability to seek protection.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
The idea was too cumbersome for something that had to be very sharp.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
The weight of his five-year, $215 million deal became a cumbersome riddle the front office couldn’t solve.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumbersome
Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Previously, the process by which digital publishers had to file for copyright protections for individual works was extremely cumbersome, limiting their ability to seek protection.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
The idea was too cumbersome for something that had to be very sharp.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Feb. 2025
The weight of his five-year, $215 million deal became a cumbersome riddle the front office couldn’t solve.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cumbersome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumbersome
Adjective
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The character first appears in the franchise’s original film Scream (1996) as the older brother of Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan) and the clumsy police deputy trying to help solve the murders in their town of Woodsboro.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
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Aviles’ dismissal, for a clumsy challenge on the edge of the penalty area, seemed set to turn the game.—
Martin Rogers,
The Athletic,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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However, whether the friendship will survive the awkward gift exchange remains to be seen.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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When Anne Hathaway co-hosted the ceremony with James Franco in 2012, it was widely panned as the Academy's awkward attempt to attract younger viewers.—
Lucia Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Due to their unwieldy shape, crystal decanters are hard to situate securely in a dishwasher, and rocks glasses are tough but fragile.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
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Seedlings have visibly outgrown their containers and have become leggy, top-heavy, or unwieldy.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The pizza guy Consider the outrage that is the federal employee retirement system, a clunky program that Musk recently highlighted.—
Zeynep Tufekci,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
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Many companies assume all technology solutions will integrate seamlessly, only to realize too late that a vendor’s API is clunky, support is weak or scalability is an issue.—
Karan Jain,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to cumbersome
Cite this Entry
“Cumbersome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumbersome. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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