as in clumsiness
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Recent Examples of awkwardness
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
The strained awkwardness of Adelina and Alban’s gestures of generosity underscore the class disparity between the city dwellers and their relatives.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Comfort without the awkwardness Pliyt also leans heavily into comfort.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
To cut through the awkwardness, Green then enters the frame himself and sits across from her, and the two share a quiet, warm, extended glance, looking into each other’s eyes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Clear communication replaces awkwardness, so let mutual respect set the tone.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
In a November 2019 podcast appearance, per People, King addressed the potential awkwardness of working with Elordi.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Kohberger had suffered through childhood weight struggles, bullying, social awkwardness, and later, heroin addiction.
—Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
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
The strained awkwardness of Adelina and Alban’s gestures of generosity underscore the class disparity between the city dwellers and their relatives.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Comfort without the awkwardness Pliyt also leans heavily into comfort.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
To cut through the awkwardness, Green then enters the frame himself and sits across from her, and the two share a quiet, warm, extended glance, looking into each other’s eyes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Clear communication replaces awkwardness, so let mutual respect set the tone.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
In a November 2019 podcast appearance, per People, King addressed the potential awkwardness of working with Elordi.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Jan. 2026
Kohberger had suffered through childhood weight struggles, bullying, social awkwardness, and later, heroin addiction.
—Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 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 9 Feb. 2026.
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