perturbs

verb

present tense third-person singular of perturb
as in disturbs
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

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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 perturbs For example, obesity induces chronic fat inflammation, which subsequently leads to systemic inflammation and perturbs the normal systemic metabolism. — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 The algorithm next perturbs one of the qubits used to carry out those operations. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2025 Anything that perturbs or enlarges the prostate could in theory increase PSA levels. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturbs
  1. disturbs
  2. distracts
  3. bothers
  4. unsettles
  5. worries
  6. alarms
  7. concerns
  8. angers
Verb
  • Some of the sightings claim a man wearing clothing typical of the 17th or 18th centuries, a man dressed in Confederate attire in the liquor room, a ghost of a former worker Joseph Hardesty and a female who actively disturbs visitors to her home.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Vibration disturbs the natural sediments in wine, flattening the flavor and aging it prematurely.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbs
Verb
  • Similarly, Sudan hopes that internal conflict in Ethiopia distracts Addis from its support of the rapid support forces militia in Sudan’s war.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • If a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars, the art inside an airport that reminds us of our humanity and distracts us from our fatigue is an object worthy of praise.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • And that’s something Lala calls him out on, which bothers him.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Resist that reflex long enough to understand what bothers you.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of bothers
Verb
  • Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated.
    — Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Definition of unsettles
Verb
  • Tehran fears that surrendering its maritime leverage first would invite fresh demands; Washington worries that easing pressure would reward coercion without securing lasting constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.
    — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • With construction expected deep into the night, Ping worries, the dust and vibrations will only worsen.
    — Curbed, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • That prospect alarms those in Europe, who fear FIFA could increasingly challenge their competitions for space on an already overcrowded calendar.
    — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • He becomes increasingly consumed by the otherworldly dimension, which alarms his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Definition of alarms
Verb
  • Kurt's key takeaways What concerns me most is how much someone can learn about you without ever meeting you.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • One such puzzle concerns the origin of uncertainty, chance and probability, which are so central to quantum mechanics.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of concerns
Verb
  • Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party champion Taiwan’s separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing, which views the island as Chinese territory.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The receptionist angers Kripke and Bert so much that they are picked up by the police — along with Stuart, who had also been arrested.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of angers

Browse Nearby Words

perturbingly
perturbs
perusal
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Cite this Entry

“Perturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbs. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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