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

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 yet by season’s end, that also became somewhat clunky, with the scheme basically game-planned out of effectiveness by the Cavaliers. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2025 Getting this into English would be clunky and far too wordy to fit into Quino’s word bubbles. Lily Meyer, The Dial, 20 May 2025 The cameras aren't as great, though, and Oppo's software is still clunky and buggy. Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 17 May 2025 And the choreography comes off as clunky and sophomoric, with all the high school connotations therein. Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
  • These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 27 May 2025
  • Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.
    Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • Eddie's real parentage is revealed, Maeve is outed, Kevin catches up with Rusby, Bella brokers her deal, and Alice attends an awkward Harrigan dinner.
    Matt Cabral, EW.com, 26 May 2025
  • There is also an awkward disconnect: Gmail’s recent encryption upgrade clashes with its AI upgrades.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Adjective
  • Their goal is also to reduce stress for breastfeeding parents and avoid the cumbersome use of pre- and post-feed weighing of infants.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 26 May 2025
  • Although effective, such tests are both expensive and cumbersome and probably not efficient enough to handle the growing need for early diagnosis.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • The premise is an unwieldy new dragon arrives in Berk and doesn't appear to immediately respond to Hiccup's famous dragon whisperer-like touch, prompting him to question his abilities.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 May 2025
  • To some extent, the Dardennes distract us from this listicle of issues with the skill of old hands used to making unwieldy narratives work.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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