as in clumsy
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the stiff, gawky gait of a newborn colt
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gawky
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
Take it from a film critic: Even gawky beta nerds get smothered by their own internalized masculinity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Brittany Murphy, who co-starred as gawky new kid Tai, sadly passed away in 2009.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
A far cry from the gawky and boyish Norman Bates, B.Z. is a floppy-haired, closeted Hollywood player slowly dissolving in his own nihilism.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gawky
Noun
Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
Take it from a film critic: Even gawky beta nerds get smothered by their own internalized masculinity.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
Brittany Murphy, who co-starred as gawky new kid Tai, sadly passed away in 2009.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
A far cry from the gawky and boyish Norman Bates, B.Z. is a floppy-haired, closeted Hollywood player slowly dissolving in his own nihilism.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gawky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gawky
Adjective
-
At times, Alcaraz was almost as clumsy as Federer in his last hurrah here against Hubert Hurkacz in 2021.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
But things get weighed down by a clumsy body-swapping plot and a pairing between Joe and 22 that never fully pays off.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
There’s at least one major shoe that could drop — why devote an entire episode to the Gemstone origin story if that gold Bible isn’t going to pay off somehow? — but The Righteous Gemstones loves these grotesque, dysfunctional louts.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
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And when someone does cross the line, like the louts who doused cops in Harlem and Brownsville with water in 2019, most officers have shown remarkable restraint.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
The next mayor, like so many of his predecessors, will have to engage in awkward negotiations with politicians in Albany.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
Barely a week goes by without some fresh young talent arriving in West London to pose for the media with a Blue jersey and an awkward grin.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Buck is a loquacious, glad-handing oaf who has a boring way with a witty story, and is marked for death.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Hackman’s aggravation early on that directors didn’t seek out and exploit his comic and even improv talents was handled unforgettably in his portrayal of Superman villain Lex Luthor, a flamboyant oaf of Trumpian proportions.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The official title is technically F1®: The Movie, an ungainly, trademarked reminder of both the brand the film was made in conjunction with, and the fact that that brand is so big that this $200-300 million Hollywood production is a blip in comparison.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
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The cornerstones of maps’ data pools are satellite images and a tireless fleet of Street View cars that roam with ungainly camera hats, constantly refreshing neighborhood-level detail.—
Sonya Bennett-Brandt,
AFAR Media,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Rushing into a patchwork of uncoordinated state laws will only slow American innovation and give China an opportunity to surge ahead and win this tech race.—
Kristen Waggoner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Unlike the pharmaceutical industry, biotech is relatively uncoordinated, with fewer centralized bodies dedicated to regulation or information sharing.—
Eric Schmidt,
Time,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Ashley Johnson, who played the adorable tyke Chrissy Seaver on two seasons of Growing Pains, stopped by the Pod Meets World recording studio to chat with Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
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The adventure-seeking tyke immediately turned and took a step toward the outfield before his pops quickly gathered him for some photos.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Here, the blurring is visual: Sometimes Leonard floats into the past looking like Gere, who wears the character without a shred of self-protection as the lens gawks at his raw skin.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Dec. 2024
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The Esprit's shape, arguably more avant-garde despite its age, consistently pegs the gawk meter.—
John Phillips,
Car and Driver,
18 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Gawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gawky. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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