as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the most troubling sign of all is that he's stopped returning my phone calls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in worrying
to experience concern or anxiety
don't trouble about me—I'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weighing
to cause discomfort to or trouble for
I hate to trouble you, but would you mind moving for a minute so I can sweep under your chair?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of troubling
Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The troubling part, Brown said, is how many of those mistakes were self-inflicted.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
China is poised to win great swathes of the booming European EV market and that is troubling the automakers.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troubling
Adjective
But there is a troubling shift that occurs when success hardens into excess and gives way to fear, a paradox that emerges all too often.
—Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The troubling part, Brown said, is how many of those mistakes were self-inflicted.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Scientists may have solved a cosmic mystery that has been troubling them since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began observations back in 2022.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
China is poised to win great swathes of the booming European EV market and that is troubling the automakers.
—Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troubling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubling
Adjective
-
Though intensely disturbing, a scene where a TV shows a distorted iteration of a character that Ohm watched as a kid rings out of place, even if the context involves his mother’s tragic passing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
If true, this is obviously disturbing.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the escalating war in Iran is worrying some that higher prices across the board will soon follow.—
Heath Kalb,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports soft job numbers, stubborn inflation and rising gas prices, spurred on by the Iran conflict, are worrying Republicans about an impending electoral backlash in November.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Heavy thickening products can backfire by weighing strands down and making hair appear flatter.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The question weighing over this year's critical midterm elections is whether the president's backing is a help or hindrance.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of an attack, the play offers something more unsettling, a meditation on the allure of a bad life and the trap of a good one.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Hair changes can feel unsettling, especially during life stages like postpartum recovery or menopause.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And for Slusser, born and raised as a Christian in Texas, just a year and a half living in Northern California had taken a frightening toll.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Protests that kind of were merging toward violence or at least frightening to our diplomats.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the students liked being able to listen to the material repeatedly without inconveniencing a human reader.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
-
No one forced them to expand to the West Coast, inconveniencing coaches, players and fans of 14 other schools.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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