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
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
—
Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Weihl is dealing with heady concepts here, and at this crucial point—the project’s de facto mission statement—they’re too unwieldy, pushing her down cryptic dead-end roads.
—Raphael Helfand, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Created by veteran broadcast journalist Barbara Walters, The View hasn't changed much over the past few decades, even if certain hosting combinations have occasionally made the show somewhat unwieldy — often to entertaining effect.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Reducing every tactile input to the same kind of press on a giant touchscreen that dominates the interior of a vehicle feels both tacky and unwieldy.
—Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026
Weihl is dealing with heady concepts here, and at this crucial point—the project’s de facto mission statement—they’re too unwieldy, pushing her down cryptic dead-end roads.
—Raphael Helfand, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Created by veteran broadcast journalist Barbara Walters, The View hasn't changed much over the past few decades, even if certain hosting combinations have occasionally made the show somewhat unwieldy — often to entertaining effect.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
Reducing every tactile input to the same kind of press on a giant touchscreen that dominates the interior of a vehicle feels both tacky and unwieldy.
—Tc Sottek, The Verge, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
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Despite a clumsy apology tour, Hogan was never able to completely shake his darkest moment.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Stupid, clumsy, slow, sloppy, weak, dirty.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The awkward situation that Thiago is talking about involves receiving the ball with his back to a player who is closing him down at speed from behind.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Almost nine years after their awkward handshake at the 2017 Bastille Day military parade, the two men politely shook hands and expressed their affinity for each other.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Shade sails Shade sails are less cumbersome alternatives to gazebos to provide shade for your patio.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
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When one party controls virtually every lever of power, the incentive to reform a cumbersome system diminishes.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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By the way, because Vidal can spare no form of mockery, we are introduced to George Washington as a man who walks with an ungainly waddle.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Faster AirDrop could also make file sharing feel less clunky.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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Unlike clunky acupressure bands or funky glasses, the Essence Essential Oil Nasal Diffusers are surprisingly discreet.—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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