1
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
the claim that all of these regulations encumber doctors, taking time away from the actual practice of medicine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on
don't encumber your pack animal so much that it can hardly move
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of encumber
His brand of athleticism is predicated on a bouncy explosiveness that shouldn’t be encumbered with unnecessary bulking.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
It will be encumbered neither by norms nor the exigencies that compel speech in a democratic society.
—Casey Ryan Kelly, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
The department is required to be paid fair market value for any land that is purchased, rented or encumbered, according to a September 2025 appraisal of the property.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Most of the properties, which are owned by LLCs, are delinquent on tax obligations while some are encumbered by mortgages that are in default —racking up penalties and interest, Seward added.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encumber
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
It will be encumbered neither by norms nor the exigencies that compel speech in a democratic society.
—Casey Ryan Kelly, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026
The department is required to be paid fair market value for any land that is purchased, rented or encumbered, according to a September 2025 appraisal of the property.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Most of the properties, which are owned by LLCs, are delinquent on tax obligations while some are encumbered by mortgages that are in default —racking up penalties and interest, Seward added.
—Patrick Danner, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encumber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for encumber
Verb
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Ukraine is rapidly producing cheap drones that impede Russia’s advances.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
Another worker who protested the raid was sentenced to 22 months in prison for using a rock to assault and impede a federal officer.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Pages followed with a single and Keller loaded the bases by hitting Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy with two outs.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
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The only way real barriers to non-factory service could be required to work on a ladder-frame gas-engine truck would be if the automaker intentionally loaded it with proprietary nonsense.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
Verb
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As President Cyril Ramaphosa deploys soldiers and orders probes into police corruption, widespread allegations of collusion with syndicates deepen residents’ mistrust and hinder investigations into such brazen attacks.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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More than four years since the start of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line has remained largely static as swarms of drones hinder advances.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 June 2026
Verb
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For Koji, change can’t come soon enough — the years of fighting for justice for his father have burdened him with guilt and regret.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Jolie, in Tunisia on a student visa, feels burdened by her family’s expectations.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Trump has often alleged rampant voter fraud that has hampered Republicans’ success, and his base has largely accepted these sentiments to be true, despite no evidence backing up his accusations.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
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Covid pandemic-era border closures hampered exchange between the two sides and later, Pyongyang grew closer to Moscow, deploying what are believed to be thousands of soldiers to aid Russia’s war against Ukraine.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
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There was fruit, sandwiches, kimbap, beer, and cigarettes—enough to fill the day in quiet peace.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Eight people were arrested on charges of assaulting police officers, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
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Zabel is also accused of obstructing the roadway.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In 1979, Jean-Louis Palladin arrived in Washington from Gascony, France, took up residence in the kitchen of the Watergate Hotel and proceeded to embarrass every serious cook in America.—
Bart Hutchins,
Washington Post,
12 June 2026
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Republicans in Washington are empowered—and eager—to investigate, embarrass, and punish the higher-education field.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Encumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/encumber. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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