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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unwieldy
Overgrown leaves or unwieldy plants.
—
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
First, is what began as a good idea is now used as an excuse to feed and support unwieldy ministries of red tape.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
The landowner has said unwieldy bureaucracy, and the sky-high expenses of navigating it, stand in the way of a clean-up.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
LaMalfa spoke out against redistricting — in Texas and California — at a rare in-person town hall event hosted in Chico, where he was met with an unwieldy, and at times hostile, crowd.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
First, is what began as a good idea is now used as an excuse to feed and support unwieldy ministries of red tape.
—Vincent Turley, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
The landowner has said unwieldy bureaucracy, and the sky-high expenses of navigating it, stand in the way of a clean-up.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
LaMalfa spoke out against redistricting — in Texas and California — at a rare in-person town hall event hosted in Chico, where he was met with an unwieldy, and at times hostile, crowd.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
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Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Tiny, slow and clumsy — these hatchlings are an easy snack for predators.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After a 21-year absence from Wrigley Field that ended earlier this summer, the weekend ceremonies seemed to signal the conclusion to an awkward, ongoing saga.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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However, nothing negates the unique way in which people from the South embrace socializing with each other, which brings us to a potentially awkward situation that arises often enough and gives grief to even the most polite Southerners.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My wooden Slazenger made hitting winners difficult in the same way that my humming Selectric made rewriting sentences cumbersome.—
Thomas Swick
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Second Amendment advocates say city-by-city ordinances would be cumbersome for permit holders commuting daily between jurisdictions.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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An absolute charmer, The Tale of Silyan is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Kia retained clunky flat-panel HVAC/audio controls that require you to push a small icon of a fan or a triangle to switch an adjoining set of flat touch points from climate to audio functions and vice versa.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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The story is pretty great too, and the gameplay, while sometimes a bit clunky, is still very fun.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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