ENCUMBRANCES Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

encumbrances

noun

plural of encumbrance

as in obstacles

something that makes movement or progress difficult without the encumbrance of a heavy backpack, I could sprint along the trail

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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 encumbrances To Tommy, Anna and Molly are twittering encumbrances, idiotic in their insistence on good works and the good of man, their endless remorseful hedgings about the Communist Party. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Stopping the train to nowhere funding, using those funds to pay off our federal EDD debt so that businesses can reduce THEIR EDD encumbrances by the 1-5% they’re being charged now. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encumbrances

Noun

For many commercial fleets, access to fueling has remained one of the biggest obstacles to adopting natural gas vehicles.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
If the organization is behind on its goals, the CEO may need to take a more active role in key initiatives to help remove obstacles and encourage progress.

— John Abusaid, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstacles

Noun

But this notion that AI data centers are quickly popping up everywhere is belied by the fact that their construction faces massive hurdles – regardless of whether anyone wants them in their backyard or not.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
The figure comes from a 2023 report citing an estimate that more than $140 billion in authorized government benefits go unclaimed each year, largely because of administrative hurdles.

— Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurdles

Noun

State justice officials also claimed that Menlo Park forced the developers to pay the city attorney’s legal bills in supporting the municipality’s obstructions against the project.

— George Avalos, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
The tip of a needle can also be helpful for clearing obstructions in the filter.

— Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 July 2026

Definition of obstructions

Noun

Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of embarrassments

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encumbrance

encumbrances

encyclical

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“Encumbrances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumbrances. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of encumbrances

noun

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