as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
an unwieldy machine that requires two people to operate it
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Recent Examples of unwieldy
For the present, we’re saddled with the unwieldy dilemma of there being eight major Democratic candidates and just two Republicans.
—
Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Rising debt levels are increasingly becoming unwieldy, particularly for lower-incomes Americans.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
An unwieldy game can have unforeseeable consequences.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Beyond sanctions, some courts that have encountered this issue have taken some limited steps to curb unwieldy AI lawsuits, for example requiring that all parties disclose when documents are AI-generated.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Rising debt levels are increasingly becoming unwieldy, particularly for lower-incomes Americans.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
An unwieldy game can have unforeseeable consequences.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Beyond sanctions, some courts that have encountered this issue have taken some limited steps to curb unwieldy AI lawsuits, for example requiring that all parties disclose when documents are AI-generated.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
-
Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The few who described speaking with her told me that their interactions had been very brief—just a short, awkward hello.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Communication can be blunt and awkward.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Despite its stellar cast, the cumbersome plot dulls the comedic beats that would otherwise be razor-sharp.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
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After installing the upgrades, federal customers would be effectively locked in, because shifting to a competitor after the free trial would be cumbersome and costly.—
Renee Dudley,
ProPublica,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In its back-to-back knottiness, the album takes on an ungainly quality that, deliberate or not, sets up roadblocks to prolonged enjoyment.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
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The situation has grown so ungainly and untenable that, if Silicon Valley is merely forced to slow down, the viability of all this spending will likely be called into question in ways that could be devastating for many.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s certainly a learning curve at first, which led to some clunky encounters in those early hours of the game.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The big-market, last-place Cubs are 6-8 after Saturday afternoon’s clunky 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, which lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes over 11 innings at Wrigley Field.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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