encumbering

verb

present participle of encumber
1
as in hampering
to create difficulty for the work or activity of the claim that all of these regulations encumber doctors, taking time away from the actual practice of medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loading
to place a weight or burden on don't encumber your pack animal so much that it can hardly move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encumbering
  1. hampering
  2. loading
  3. impeding
  4. burdening
  5. hindering
  6. filling
  7. obstructing
  8. saddling
Verb
  • Front-line workers have gone on strike several times since the outbreak began, further hampering efforts to contain the disease.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Royals finished 22nd in runs scored, with injuries hampering much of the 2026 campaign.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • As Veach recalled it, that began with venturing back into the Eagles’ library with a basket and loading it up with VHS tapes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Coast Guard posted a video showing its rescue swimmers loading survivors into baskets and hoisting them onto helicopters.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of loading
Verb
  • There’s also a 24-hour gym, a light and airy place with multiple cardio machines, weight training equipment, and floor space for yoga, stretching, or floor exercises (and enough room to do so without impeding on anyone else’s space).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Garces Perez faces one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.
    — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of impeding
Verb
  • The policy could have affected legally present immigrants, Temporary Protected Status holders and DACA recipients, while burdening underfunded agencies and deterring families from seeking help.
    — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Under the law, the state must prove a compelling interest for burdening a person's religion and that its solution is the least restrictive way of furthering that interest.
    — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of burdening
Verb
  • Bonner was charged last week with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Robinson, 59, of Churchill, Pennsylvania, is the managing attorney at a Pittsburgh law firm, and has been charged with felony tampering and hindering apprehension for trying to conceal evidence.
    — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hindering
Verb
  • Gasoline price movements are more apparent to consumers than those of diesel, since drivers feel them immediately when filling up, economists said.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
  • With tours filling and accommodation being booked, the temptation is to chase the longest possible totality.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of filling
Verb
  • The vehicle was stopped for a few minutes perpendicular to a snowy residential Minneapolis street, obstructing the flow of traffic.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Collaboration means different interests working through disagreements to find common ground – not obstructing progress in court while forests burn.
    — Chris Edwards, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of obstructing
Verb
  • The nightmare scenario of running over budget and saddling local taxpayers with debt hangs over the organizing committee.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Moreno may also need to make those calls, and saddling his successor with a long-term manager seems unwise and unlikely, even by Moreno’s standards.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of saddling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

encumbered
encumbering
encumbers
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Cite this Entry

“Encumbering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumbering. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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