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 On July 10, Charles Pernicka, Solutions’ attorney, replied in writing, providing documents that showed there were no formal encumbrances, such as liens or leases, on the properties’ deeds. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2026 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

Icy weather, snowstorms, obstructive foliage and rugged terrain along the wild Rockies were just some of the obstacles Ben Nickell and Anne Koski faced on a 10-year journey to climb the highest point in each of Idaho’s 44 counties.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
Long before launch, the team faced obstacles that nearly thwarted the endeavor — chiefly, two rejections from NASA — before finally securing the green light for the $1 billion project under the New Frontiers Program in 2011.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of obstacles

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

Noun

Both promise to boost supply chain resilience — be that against climate change or geopolitical unrest — but face significant barriers to scale.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
The harder tasks are to integrate capital markets, reduce regulatory differences between member states, and dismantle barriers to cross-border investment and commerce.

— Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of barriers

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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 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of encumbrances

noun

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