as in clumsiness
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of awkwardness
Marcus Phillips spearheads a spot-on quintet of classmates, each bursting with self-conscious awkwardness and a desire to be seen and understood.
—
Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
And that is not even factoring in the obvious Q and Aubry awkwardness.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
The production works, mostly because DiDonato and Time for Three all know how to use it, moving without awkwardness, bringing the audience closer to the music instead of creating a distracting barrier.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2026
How Kit Harington Ended Up In the Film The behind-the-scenes footage arrived roughly six months after Turner first discussed the awkwardness of kissing her former on-screen sibling.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
Any awkwardness can be banished with honest kindness.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
Many in Syria’s dissident circles at first found Bashar’s awkwardness and shyness appealing.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
And so, the awkwardness continues.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Overall comfort is comparable, aside from the awkwardness of a safety monitor in the Tesla robotaxi, who may or may not sit too far back or select music for themselves.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 2026
And that is not even factoring in the obvious Q and Aubry awkwardness.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
The production works, mostly because DiDonato and Time for Three all know how to use it, moving without awkwardness, bringing the audience closer to the music instead of creating a distracting barrier.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2026
How Kit Harington Ended Up In the Film The behind-the-scenes footage arrived roughly six months after Turner first discussed the awkwardness of kissing her former on-screen sibling.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
Any awkwardness can be banished with honest kindness.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
Many in Syria’s dissident circles at first found Bashar’s awkwardness and shyness appealing.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
And so, the awkwardness continues.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Overall comfort is comparable, aside from the awkwardness of a safety monitor in the Tesla robotaxi, who may or may not sit too far back or select music for themselves.
—Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awkwardness
Noun
-
O’Hara sinks into the role, embracing the inherent clumsiness of community theater while celebrating its flaws.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
On immigration enforcement—Trump’s signature issue—the brutality and clumsiness of the mass-deportation campaign has decreased public support for the president’s agenda and increased the number of Americans who strongly disapprove of ICE.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Not two years later this tower was to collapse precipitately under its own weight into a pyramid of dust and rubble, only to be rebuilt later, in, unaccountably, all its former gracelessness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Awkwardness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awkwardness. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
