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
The software is very limited and unwieldy, though.
—
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
This is an ambitious film that walks up to the edge of being unwieldy, but Mendonça holds it together and delivers something genuinely unique to the film landscape.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
The slow progress of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the bureaucracy of the African Union shows how ineffective an unwieldy pan-African vision can be.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, Ripple Fries became an unwieldy endeavor.
—Bloomberg, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 Mar. 2026
This is an ambitious film that walks up to the edge of being unwieldy, but Mendonça holds it together and delivers something genuinely unique to the film landscape.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
The slow progress of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the bureaucracy of the African Union shows how ineffective an unwieldy pan-African vision can be.
—Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, Ripple Fries became an unwieldy endeavor.
—Bloomberg, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
-
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
Adjective
-
So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
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
-
In its back-to-back knottiness, the album takes on an ungainly quality that, deliberate or not, sets up roadblocks to prolonged enjoyment.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
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The situation has grown so ungainly and untenable that, if Silicon Valley is merely forced to slow down, the viability of all this spending will likely be called into question in ways that could be devastating for many.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Correspondence was at the very least clunky, and at most, reckless.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
If a process feels clunky, those advance preparations could give you time to come up with a new way of doing things that works better for everyone.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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