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To put a heavy load on; burden: a hiker who was encumbered with a heavy pack; a life that has always been encumbered with responsibilities.
(verb-transitive)
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To hinder or impede the action or performance of: restrictions that encumber police work.
(verb-transitive)
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To burden with legal or financial obligations: an estate that is encumbered with debts.
(verb-transitive)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.