1The company's significant debt became a major encumbrance to its plans for expansion and growth.
2Does the risk of environmental damage represent an unacceptable encumbrance to the development of the new project?
3The lack of adequate funding has been an ongoing encumbrance to the progress of the research team.
4Try to minimize any encumbrance to the free flow of communication within the team.
5The new policy aims to alleviate the encumbrance of bureaucracy on small businesses and entrepreneurs.