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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clunky
The plot is predictable, the characters are pretty basic, and the dialogue can be clunky.
—
ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
All of these methods of secure communication can be clunky and take more time than people in our smartphone age are used to.
—Dakota Rudesill, The Conversation, 29 Mar. 2025
The new console boasts an integrated chat feature, eliminating the clunky external phone connections of its predecessor.
—Eammonn Dignam, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The Sabres led 1-0 after a clunky first period thanks to a give-and-go power play goal with 19 seconds left before intermission.
—Adam Beasley, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunky
ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
All of these methods of secure communication can be clunky and take more time than people in our smartphone age are used to.
—Dakota Rudesill, The Conversation, 29 Mar. 2025
The new console boasts an integrated chat feature, eliminating the clunky external phone connections of its predecessor.
—Eammonn Dignam, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The Sabres led 1-0 after a clunky first period thanks to a give-and-go power play goal with 19 seconds left before intermission.
—Adam Beasley, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
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Imagine being cuddled by long-legged, clumsy poodles.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
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That’s — actually kind of genius, especially if the Poet was a clumsy fella who needed that kind of precautionary measure.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Comments A little case of mistaken identity took an awkward turn for Luke Bryan recently.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Though, fair warning: a colleague told me using it with their manager made for a very awkward 48 hours.—
Jennifer Jolly,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Over the course of his pontificate, Francis contended with conservatives and with a cumbersome bureaucracy practiced in the art of resisting change.—
Randall Balmer,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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But deportation — a cumbersome process generally involving an arrest, detention, a removal order from a judge and finally a flight out of the U.S. — can take months or years.—
Alyson Hurt,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the end, the finale may not have entirely redeemed some pacing issues and unwieldy sprawl, but ended strongly enough to make both seem minor in retrospect.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
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Yet any swerve away from Trump’s blessed route risks ending with House Republicans pursuing a vote-of-no-confidence against Johnson, who has so far been impressively steady at the helm of a caucus that is unwieldy at best.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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