The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
ENCUMBER
Definition of ENCUMBER
verb
To load down something with a burden.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Other senses
ENCUMBER carries 4 further meanings.
transitive verb
To cause to have difficulty in moving or in accomplishing something; burden.
“a hiker encumbered with a heavy pack; a student encumbered with responsibilities.”
transitive verb
To hinder or impede the action or performance of: synonym: hinder.
“restrictions that encumber police work.”
transitive verb
To burden with legal or financial obligations.
“an estate that is encumbered with debts.”
noun
An encumbrance; a hindrance.
Where it comes from
From Middle English encombren, from Old French encombrer, from en- + combrer (“to hinder”) (See cumber). By surface analysis, en- + cumber.
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
- Old French
- Middle English
- English
2 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
9th
of 58 source languages in OUTLIER
2.9%
of traced words share this origin (836)
branch · 15.4% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, ENCUMBER · 2 relatives in the game
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
ENCUMBER in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 31 boards so far. 106 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 19, 8 June 2026. The most recent board was Day 143, 10 October 2026. Nobody has seen it on a board for 3 days.
First ever to find it
on Day 19, 8 June 2026 - before anyone else in Outlier's history. See the Pioneers
Built from these letters
ENCUMBER starts with E and ends with R. Sorted, its letters read BCEEMNRU - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. E appears more than once.
Words that mean much the same
Near-synonyms of ENCUMBER. Not interchangeable at the board - the grid decides that - but close in meaning.
Words that start ENCUMB
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 19
Could you have found ENCUMBER?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 19 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER