Synonym Chooser

How does the verb perturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of perturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, disturb, fluster, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can agitate take the place of perturb?

Although the words agitate and perturb have much in common, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When would discompose be a good substitute for perturb?

While the synonyms discompose and perturb are close in meaning, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When is disquiet a more appropriate choice than perturb?

While in some cases nearly identical to perturb, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When can disturb be used instead of perturb?

In some situations, the words disturb and perturb are roughly equivalent. However, disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Where would fluster be a reasonable alternative to perturb?

The words fluster and perturb can be used in similar contexts, but fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When might upset be a better fit than perturb?

The meanings of upset and perturb largely overlap; however, upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perturb There’s no telling which of those tests could perturb this new saltative branching model into its next evolutionary spike. Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025 That didn't perturb Candice however, and the couple filled out the paperwork to adopt Dobby straight away. Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025 Solène doesn’t seem perturbed, and this is the beginning of me feeling insane. Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025 Trump said he was perturbed by the Ukrainian leader’s resistance. Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturb
Verb
  • Leaf blowers of any kind may disturb wildlife habitat and contribute to soil erosion by removing organic matter and exposing the top layer of soil.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Part of the controversy appears to have related to the fact that the carpet covered tile that, if disturbed, could expose children to asbestos.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rather than distracting from the acting, the animation also only enhances the heightened emotions of adolescence.
    James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
  • Prosecutors told the jury not to be distracted by these arguments, that the broader picture clearly showed who was at the center of these killings.
    Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.
    Book Marks October 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
  • But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.
    Roy Trakin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Union leaders are also alarmed by new regulations announced Tuesday that increase the minimum number of workers required to form a union from 20 to 50, and raise the maximum number of unions per factory from three to five.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • European leaders, alarmed at the rise in airspace incursions and the security threat that drones pose, proposed building a drone wall to protect the region’s eastern flank against potential attacks and incursions.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Some furniture executives worry about rising prices and the lack of domestic manufacturing capacity.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
  • And while some worry that changing the exclusion could flood the market, Moody’s analysis finds that even a 25% spike in listings would only restore sales to normal, pre-crisis levels.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Old feelings resurface, but a racist incident unsettles their reunion.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Then her swagger slipped, her expression unsettled.
    David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Her attorneys said Ozturk, a Turkish national, spent six weeks in detention for writing an op-ed in her student newspaper the year before that criticized the university’s rejection of student government resolutions concerning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • More concerning still is what the expiration of AGOA portends for the future, the academic believes.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The nearness of bees, and of other things that agitate most people, calms me.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, those on the right are agitating to declare left wing activists as terrorists.
    Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Perturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturb. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on perturb

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