ENCUMBRANCE Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

encumbrance

noun

in-ˈkəm-brən(t)s

Definition of encumbrance

as in obstacle

something that makes movement or progress difficult without the encumbrance of a heavy backpack, I could sprint along the trail

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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 encumbrance The City of Boca Raton lost because the lease itself became the encumbrance. — Stacy Sipple, Sun Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026 Still, Sabbath sounded amazing, the band’s distinctive vibe of limitless cosmic encumbrance, of Man squirming under the thumb of Fate, God, madness—the essential heavy-metal vision—somehow magnified by the venerable wobbliness of its playing. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025 Coppola, who has been directing movies since 1963, voices his frustrations with the technical and material encumbrances that inhere in the conventional, professional way of working. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2025 But corporate apathy wasn’t the project’s only encumbrance. — Joan Gaylord, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for encumbrance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for encumbrance

Noun

Bond yields Persistent inflation, tariffs and whipsawing gas prices are not the only obstacles complicating the task for the Fed.

— Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
The emotional incompatibility of self-care Applebaum said that even those who can overcome the practical obstacles often still struggle to take care of themselves.

— Elissa Strauss, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstacle

Noun

But Oxley, writing in a commentary, cautioned that there are logistical hurdles and said the value of Venezuela’s reserves may have been exaggerated under former President Hugo Chavez.

— Collin Binkley, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Secondly, insurance and safety inspections remain critical hurdles.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurdle

Noun

In December 2019, the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden while withholding military aid.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
Her boyfriend, 18-year-old Royce Moser, has been charged with homicide and counts related to tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, obstruction and conspiracy.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of obstruction

Noun

He’s particularly drawn to episodes that are discomforting for his countrymen—the Dreyfus Affair, and, a recent obsession, French accommodation in Nazi rule during the Occupation, a national embarrassment that was long passed over in silence.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Just the latest embarrassment from the worst president in any of our lifetimes.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of embarrassment

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encumbers

encumbrance

encumbrances

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“Encumbrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumbrance. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of encumbrance

noun

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