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perturbing 1 of 2

adjective

pər-ˈtər-biŋ How to pronounce perturbing (audio)
Definition of perturbingnext
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

perturbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of perturb
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

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 perturbing
Adjective
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 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
It had previously been thought that an unseen gas giant planet, having carved out a gap between the middle and outer ring, was perturbing the outer ring. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026 In another study conducted around the same time, Picard found that perturbing mitochondria changed their host cell’s gene expression and growth, even when the organelles’ ability to transform energy was unchanged. — Rachel Nuwer, Quanta Magazine, 17 July 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 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
  1. disturbing
  2. alarming
  3. unsettling
  4. distracting
  5. troubling
  6. bothering
  7. frightening
  8. concerning
Adjective
  • There, Musk’s disturbing lack of empathy would glory in slashing jobs and spending, including on the vital USAID.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That part is too real, too disturbing, and Barrett’s hollow script avoids tackling the subject head on.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • OpenAI’s use of a new technique that obscures AI agents’ chain of thought is alarming the research community.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming
Adjective
  • The tiny farming settlement of Poilley, in Brittany, would become her home for the next eight years, and the subject of more than 50,000 intimate, often unsettling photographs.
    — Felix Bazalgette, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
  • And an overture from an ABC exec (Jessica Hecht) to Andie to jump ship represents another kind of unsettling grooming.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Verb
  • The tale of any historical figure is also one of time and place, but despite these looming ideas, the film’s particular unspooling has a distracting quality.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Suppressing tics as treatment Suppressing tics can be distracting and exhausting, yet decades of research has shown that tic suppression can be strengthened and used therapeutically.
    — Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracting
Adjective
  • The friends, who had a key to the house, entered the home and immediately noticed several troubling signs.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The campaign was far from the report’s most troubling example of AI misuse.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of troubling
Verb
  • The list of maladies bothering Ohtani is lengthy, and grew this week.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothering
Adjective
  • The subjects bring insightful detail of frightening practices, and the filmmaking helps to underline the thematic commentary of the disconnect between levels of humanity.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Como are playing some slick football under Cesc Fabregas, and while 21-year-old Nico Paz is still the shining star at the heart of every attack, Baturina has also clicked into a frightening gear.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Flowers aggravated a summer hamstring issue and Lane’s wrist injury could be concerning.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The rest of the firm’s case doesn’t need help from the Fed to look concerning on its own.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of concerning

Browse Nearby Words

perturbed
perturbing
perturbingly
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Cite this Entry

“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbing. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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