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
There are even more supporting characters, making for an unwieldy narrative as the film attempts to give each one of them their due.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
Democrats were demanding votes on an unwieldy list of 40 amendments Wednesday night.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025
Dealing with large, unwieldy bed sheets can be a challenge, whether folding them or washing them.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2025
The result is four unwieldy conferences with unbalanced schedules that make teams incredibly difficult to compare with one another.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025
Democrats were demanding votes on an unwieldy list of 40 amendments Wednesday night.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2025
Dealing with large, unwieldy bed sheets can be a challenge, whether folding them or washing them.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2025
The result is four unwieldy conferences with unbalanced schedules that make teams incredibly difficult to compare with one another.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
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But in that moment, my 40 years of skiing experience evaporated, and the bulletproof snow and thick crowds transformed me into an anxious and clumsy mess.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
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Following the adventures of the titular sheep, the franchise’s latest takes place at Mossy Bottom Farm on Halloween Eve, watching as excitement turns to dismay when the clumsy Farmer ruins the pumpkin patch.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The rise of digital payment systems has made tipping both easier and more awkward, especially when prompts appear at counters, kiosks and drive-thru windows.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Use this a couple of times a week for smoother, brighter skin (without getting sunburnt and sand in awkward places).—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Director Michael Arden, meanwhile, is up to his elbows just moving the cumbersome Legos of Dane Laffrey’s set around.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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The government has relaxed its once-cumbersome visa process and invested heavily in airport and road upgrades to make the country’s immense, underexplored landscapes more accessible.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The movie begins in 1989, when Martin was just out of her teens and fighting in Toughwoman contests, and spans 22 years, providing all sorts of opportunities for ungainly period hairstyles, from a ragged pageboy to a curly mullet to a frizzy shag.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
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All loads easier than wrangling an ungainly bird half the table doesn’t really much care for anyway (what?—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The phone is impressively slim as a tablet, but clunky as a phone.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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Security is worth considering as there’s not a native way to lock the rack to the vehicle, but there are after-market options (albeit a little clunky) to mitigate this.—
Cameron Martindell,
Outside,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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