as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
even my five-year-old laptop seems clunky next to some of the really slim new models
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Recent Examples of clunky
Kia retained clunky flat-panel HVAC/audio controls that require you to push a small icon of a fan or a triangle to switch an adjoining set of flat touch points from climate to audio functions and vice versa.
—
Mark Phelan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
The story is pretty great too, and the gameplay, while sometimes a bit clunky, is still very fun.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Kia retained clunky flat-panel HVAC/audio controls that require you to push a small icon of a fan or a triangle to switch an adjoining set of flat touch points from climate to audio functions and vice versa.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Gone are the days of lugging a clunky vacuum around the house to do your chores.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunky
Mark Phelan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
The story is pretty great too, and the gameplay, while sometimes a bit clunky, is still very fun.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Kia retained clunky flat-panel HVAC/audio controls that require you to push a small icon of a fan or a triangle to switch an adjoining set of flat touch points from climate to audio functions and vice versa.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Gone are the days of lugging a clunky vacuum around the house to do your chores.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
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Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Tiny, slow and clumsy — these hatchlings are an easy snack for predators.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After a 21-year absence from Wrigley Field that ended earlier this summer, the weekend ceremonies seemed to signal the conclusion to an awkward, ongoing saga.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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However, nothing negates the unique way in which people from the South embrace socializing with each other, which brings us to a potentially awkward situation that arises often enough and gives grief to even the most polite Southerners.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My wooden Slazenger made hitting winners difficult in the same way that my humming Selectric made rewriting sentences cumbersome.—
Thomas Swick
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Second Amendment advocates say city-by-city ordinances would be cumbersome for permit holders commuting daily between jurisdictions.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The cycle that Columbine helped kick off has evolved into a subculture that is dark, unwieldy, and durable.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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Gleeson, Frei, Key, Gregg, and Young are very good, too (although many of their castmates get lost in the unwieldy ensemble).—
Judy Berman,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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