as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
even my five-year-old laptop seems clunky next to some of the really slim new models
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Recent Examples of clunky
As for Dosunmu, joining a faster Wolves team than the ones of previous years has helped make what might have been a clunky adjustment go better.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
About the size of a football, the fire engine-red sirens look like a clunky, portable speaker.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
For decades, the work to engineer human embryo models using stem cells has been stagnant, and the resulting models have been clunky.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
The best part is that the upper is made of soft leather, but the outsole is EVA foam, so these aren’t heavy and clunky like other loafers with a slight platform.
—Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clunky
John Hollinger, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
About the size of a football, the fire engine-red sirens look like a clunky, portable speaker.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
For decades, the work to engineer human embryo models using stem cells has been stagnant, and the resulting models have been clunky.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
The best part is that the upper is made of soft leather, but the outsole is EVA foam, so these aren’t heavy and clunky like other loafers with a slight platform.
—Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
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Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
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So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Lock down the logistics first The fastest way to kill trip momentum is skipping the awkward conversations.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The compact electromagnetic launcher features a 12-inch barrel and is light enough to be comfortably held and operated with one hand, allowing for greater mobility and ease of use in tight or urban environments where traditional firearms or larger coil guns would be cumbersome.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
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The researchers received the feedback in a meeting with FDA reviewers to discuss a potential study of custom treatments using prime editors, a more complex and cumbersome gene editing technology that can treat a much wider range of genetic misspellings.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For the present, we’re saddled with the unwieldy dilemma of there being eight major Democratic candidates and just two Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Rising debt levels are increasingly becoming unwieldy, particularly for lower-incomes Americans.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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