clumsier; clumsiest
1
a
: lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace
clumsy fingers
b
: lacking tact or subtlety
a clumsy joke
2
: awkward or inefficient in use or construction : unwieldy
a clumsy contraption
criticized her sentence for its clumsy construction
Examples of clumsy in a Sentence
I'm sorry about spilling your wine—that was very clumsy of me.
I have very clumsy hands and tend to drop things.
She made a clumsy attempt at a joke.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
The fourth calf happened to be in soft ground, on which a wolf is clumsy.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
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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
The fourth calf happened to be in soft ground, on which a wolf is clumsy.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clumsy
Cite this Entry
“Clumsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clumsy. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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