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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Recent Examples of encumbrance
In California, a clean title indicates a property with no liens, encumbrances or claims, ensuring the seller has clear and legal rights to sell without issue.
—
Pat Kapowich, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024
There have been suggestions that AI needs Section 230 because large language models train on data and will be better if that data is freely usable with no liabilities or encumbrances.
—Jaron Lanier, WIRED, 13 Feb. 2024
But, eventually, families and jobs and the various other encumbrances of adult life conspire to pull you away.
—Andrew Keh Bryan Meltz, New York Times, 24 July 2023
The house, together with all its conveyances, encumbrances, assignments, contracts, mortgages, liens, other interests, termites and skunks.
—Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 26 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for encumbrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encumbrance
Noun
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Build out a timeline, address potential obstacles and decide who owns each task.—
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As a result, digital health companies such as Hims & Hers have been prescribing compounded semaglutide as an alternative for patients who are navigating volatile supply hurdles and insurance obstacles.—
Noun
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Their restaurant group, Strategic Hospitality, helps manage those practical hurdles and provides access to resources from accounting to HR.—
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Financing the film was an early hurdle for Molayemi and Sohani.—
Noun
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They were both booked into jail on multiple felony counts of obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Johnson, according to police.—
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Julie Chrisley was also convicted on a count of obstruction of justice.—
Noun
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But that doesn’t seem to be the purpose of the record, which leans more heavily into fan service — a treat for those who’ve stayed loyal (or at least neutral) as Drake suffered the past year’s cavalcade of embarrassments.—
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No mention of Ukraine, not a word about Russia—VP Vance’s scolding lecture to Europe about free speech at the Munich Security Conference today was a complete embarrassment.—
Cite this Entry
“Encumbrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumbrance. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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