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
Could the deal spur Fox to examine what is becoming an unwieldy streaming portfolio?
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Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
15 June 2026
An organization with the unwieldy name of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — NASCAR — was born.
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Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 June 2026
Such overwhelming events can be unwieldy and messy, of course.
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Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
For large, unwieldy laundry, wash it on the bulky setting.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
15 June 2026
An organization with the unwieldy name of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — NASCAR — was born.
—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 June 2026
Such overwhelming events can be unwieldy and messy, of course.
—
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
For large, unwieldy laundry, wash it on the bulky setting.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
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Such a feature would neatly get around the need for clumsy remote control sessions to interact with AI agents running on a distant Mac.
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The head coach was clumsy in his response, saying — in effect — that the player is better suited to being an impact substitute and taking advantage of tiring opposition defenders.
Adjective
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Human bodies were like animals’ The few medical instruments of the revolutionary era were heavy in the hand, awkward in use and imprecise to maneuver.
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In its place are itty-bitty bands that still keep your flats or heels in place, just with less of a chance of awkward tan lines.
Adjective
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Those habits feel cumbersome when a technology is evolving by the month.
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That tendency, which may have been with us since the Stone Age, today serves the interests of our cumbersome friends in the Florida Everglades.
Adjective
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Instead of an ungainly pile of pillows, modern buyers prefer to let the materials sing.
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Seydoux tromps through the film with a masculine heaviness — a sense of dysphoria that translates to her character’s ungainly bearing.
Adjective
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Those clunky portable units do ease discomfort, at least; another widely available air-conditioning option, known as a split unit, is typically more efficient, but also more expensive and harder to install.
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This solution is a clunky eyesore; resembling a cushion, gym mat and tarp meshed into one.
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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