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
Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
For critics of the decision, the message is troubling—that legacy in football is no longer just about winning, but about how a figure made voters feel along the way.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 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 at the same time, law and order has significantly eroded with a troubling spike in vigilante lynchings and mob violence, as well as the abuse and online doxing of women in particular.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
For critics of the decision, the message is troubling—that legacy in football is no longer just about winning, but about how a figure made voters feel along the way.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 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
-
Some of those revelations are deeply disturbing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
-
These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Also worrying, said Malekan, is that the plan appeared designed to include all of its current business partners, some of which have direct financial ties to NYSE.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
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But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy — the original focus of the protests — sinks further.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Maryam Zar, who formed a community group to help guide the recovery from the Palisades fire, is also weighing a mayoral bid — and doesn’t plan to decide until the final day.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Analysts say Beijing may be weighing trade, investment and other measures to respond – and dissuade other countries in the region from taking similar steps.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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If the devoted nun resembles the raving patient, does that not justify locking them away, protecting ourselves from their unsettling power?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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One of the many unsettling images to emerge from the recent ICE surge in Minneapolis was that of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, in his blue bunny hat, standing in the January cold with the hand of a federal officer gripping his Spider-Man backpack.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One Florida resident reportedly hired a local mover without bothering to determine if the company was licensed, only to run into a boatload of trouble.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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The news this week that CPW employees are facing a variety of threats from radical elements in both groups of Coloradans strikes us as ironic sad — and frightening.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Need someone to absorb your wife’s anger over that extramarital affair without inconveniencing your mistress?—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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