as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the caller's strange remark perturbed me enough to keep me awake that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perturbing
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
16 May 2026
Advertisement Indeed, along with a perturbing reliance on fossil fuels, around 18–20% of Saudi youth are unemployed, meaning developing productive avenues for them is a policy priority as set out in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him.
—
Adrienne Matei,
The Atlantic,
13 Aug. 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
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Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
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Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Wait a few hundred-thousand years, and another star will drift into our Oort cloud, perturbing it and potentially triggering new comets arriving in our inner Solar System.
—
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
The collision would trigger fusion, perturbing a magnetic field, which in turn produces power.
—
Harry Booth,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Dostál went from saving more than 14 goals above expected last season, his first year as the No. 1 option, to 2.9 goals below expected during the regular season and a perturbing 5.6 goals below expected in the postseason, per MoneyPuck.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
16 May 2026
Advertisement Indeed, along with a perturbing reliance on fossil fuels, around 18–20% of Saudi youth are unemployed, meaning developing productive avenues for them is a policy priority as set out in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him.
—
Adrienne Matei,
The Atlantic,
13 Aug. 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—
Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Soon, Callaghan — alongside Nic Mosher and Evan Gilbert-Katz — was traversing the country in a shabby RV, documenting the surreal, perturbing and often hilarious fringes of American culture.
—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Wait a few hundred-thousand years, and another star will drift into our Oort cloud, perturbing it and potentially triggering new comets arriving in our inner Solar System.
—
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
The collision would trigger fusion, perturbing a magnetic field, which in turn produces power.
—
Harry Booth,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturbing
Adjective
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The film is a modern take on the creature horror film told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover that his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature.
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This past Juneteenth weekend saw a spate of shooting incidents that underscored a disturbing trend.
Verb
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At the same time, the state’s spending keeps growing quickly as well, alarming the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature on fiscal matters.
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The 2023 property tax valuation cycle — and to a lesser extent, the 2024 and 2025 cycles — have been the subject of widespread outrage in Jackson County, with skyrocketing property values alarming homeowners and business owners alike.
Adjective
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The New York Times reported that multiple women who once dated Platner described the Maine oysterman’s behavior as intimidating and unsettling.
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This move, by a native of the attention economy, signals a growing trend of users actively disengaging, unsettling consumer investors.
Verb
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However, there was a distracting graphical issue where characters and objects would get weird glowy or black artifacts around the edges in close-up shots during battles and cutscenes.
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People attending the trial would also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing, or otherwise disrupting proceedings.
Adjective
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Such hallucinatory citations are, according to judges and lawyers, troubling at a variety of levels, including for their threat to the integrity of the judicial system.
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In the most troubling times and with his country under attack, Max quickly became a beloved and integral part of the ABC News team, reporting at the heart of one of the most devastating wars in modern history.
Verb
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That shift may help explain why some couples notice their partner’s scent bothering them more during periods of conflict.
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The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.
Adjective
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Earlier movie versions have managed the story’s most frightening moments with the limited technology available at the time—much plastic and spongy stuff; monsters in process shots looming over little men; papier-mâché boulders flung from hilltops.
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Even more frightening, the percentage exceeded 50% in many groups, including insects, terrestrial vertebrates, and marine species.
Verb
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Initial ticket sales are concerning for the studio because the movie’s polarizing reception, as well as the intense competition during the peak of summer movie season, could limit its theatrical staying power.
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Useful, next generation AI features that also might come with some concerning security issues.
Cite this Entry
“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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