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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. obstacles
  2. hurdles
  3. obstructions
  4. embarrassments
  5. barriers
Noun
  • But there are multiple obstacles to pivoting the US potash supply, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s doubts about a deal.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And SpaceX will need to overcome those obstacles to Starship’s full operational status soon.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of obstacles
Noun
  • At a meeting of the group's board, the governors unveiled a 66-project blueprint to get things started while acknowledging enormous hurdles that must still be overcome.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Overcoming technical hurdles in core design Because the reactor layout is never fixed, scientists could not rely on a standard conversion design.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of hurdles
Noun
  • Jerome noticed several obstructions in the road while biking.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • By keeping vents free of obstructions and furniture, airflow is maximized, which increases a home’s cooling.
    — Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 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
Noun
  • Their job is to reduce the world to a series of numbers that can be punched into increasingly complex statistical equations and published in esoteric journals with high barriers to entry and minuscule readerships.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Following significant amendments in the final days of the legislative session, community college leaders are concerned the new laws will end up creating more barriers than support for the system’s growing baccalaureate program.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of barriers

Browse Nearby Words

encumbrance
encumbrances
encyclical
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Cite this Entry

“Encumbrances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumbrances. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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