as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
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
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
-
OpenAI had previously flagged her ChatGPT conversations as having a disturbing fascination with extreme violence, and suspended her account, but reportedly the company did not notify law enforcement.—
Anat Lior,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
-
In an hour-and-a-half interview with the New York Times Popcast that dropped on Thursday, Rodrigo staunchly defended the dress and called the criticism disturbing.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This unsettling event haunted Stephen for decades, driving him to collaborate with filmmakers Cynthia Hill and Christine Delp in a search for answers.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
-
When an unsettling piece of evidence is revealed, Tara and her crew investigate the disturbing circumstances surrounding the case and attempt to uncover the truth about her brother’s disappearance.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
People who attend the trial will also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing or otherwise disrupting the proceedings.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
If anything, Horvath writes, ed tech broke American schools by pitching distracting multimedia to boost learning.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
The underlying numbers are just as troubling.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
The twin offensives are targeting Hamas and Hezbollah respectively, though critics argue that the operations are motivated at least in part by domestic politics — Israel is due to hold elections by October — and are amplifying troubling humanitarian situations in Gaza and Lebanon.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.—
Dory Zayas,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Boroughs is not a frightening show, monster snack-time portrayals notwithstanding.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
The father of two and community activist said the encounters can range from embarrassing and annoying to downright frightening.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
While giving users information on how to conduct harmful activities could be concerning, the more worrying part is how the chatbots can egg users on, said Samuel Hunter, senior scientist and director of academic research at NCITE.—
Huo Jingnan,
NPR,
31 May 2026
-
The play wasn’t particularly close and continued a concerning trend where a number of Red Sox runners have been thrown out at home recently.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
