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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clunky And the choreography comes off as clunky and sophomoric, with all the high school connotations therein. Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2025 Imagine never having to use a clunky scanner at the office or your home ever again. New Atlas, 13 Feb. 2025 That’s all fair enough, but, wow, is this clunky show on the nose with all that stuff. Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025 The idea of rewarding the schools that get better TV ratings seems clunky, given all the uncontrollable factors that help determine those numbers. Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
  • What starts with a clumsy confession that threatened to derail their relationship altogether, ends with Mark and Helly closer than ever.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Accompanied by her clumsy cameraman Manu (Jean-Baptiste Shelmerdine), colorful investigations ensue.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Comfortable familiarity and an awkward desire to escape co-exist like the two quotes at the start, both true in incongruous harmony.
    David Opie, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Where some toiletry bags end up having an awkward shape that won’t easily fit into your luggage, these are the opposite.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The weight of his five-year, $215 million deal became a cumbersome riddle the front office couldn’t solve.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
  • Public insurance adjusters may start reaching out to affected homeowners offering help through the cumbersome claims process and promising to get them the most money possible.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Due to their unwieldy shape, crystal decanters are hard to situate securely in a dishwasher, and rocks glasses are tough but fragile.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Seedlings have visibly outgrown their containers and have become leggy, top-heavy, or unwieldy.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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