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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of troubling
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
That may sound harmless on the surface, but the reality is far more troubling.
—Verdaillia Turner, AJC.com, 25 Feb. 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
The agency noted a troubling paradox in recent policy shifts.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
That may sound harmless on the surface, but the reality is far more troubling.
—Verdaillia Turner, AJC.com, 25 Feb. 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
-
The stumblebum energy disarms us, which makes the gruesome cruelty of the kills that much more disturbing.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
-
On Wednesday, Givens described the allegations accusing her of allowing a staff member to impersonate her during a court hearing as disturbing.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And as for worrying about too much screen time, Woods has zero concerns.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The real media merger worth worrying about involves the control of local TV stations.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That's over twice the value of gold from just one year ago, and now investors who once hesitated to buy gold are weighing whether the opportunity has already passed — or whether the metal still has room to run.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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In Texas, Democrats and Republicans are weighing the same uncertainties ahead of the November election.—
Elaine Godfrey,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General released an unsettling report about spending from the mayor’s office over a three-and-a-half-year period (July 2022 through November 2025).—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
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Key themes in her work include environmental catastrophe, belief, and the strange and unsettling aspects of human life.—
Joy Williams,
The Dial,
3 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
-
Vonn badly injured her left leg in a frightening crash in the Olympic downhill and won't be able to add points to her seasonal tally, but the American standout still leads the way with 400 points after two wins and three more podium results.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Friends reported that his pupils, which doubled in size during an attack, were frightening.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 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 7 Mar. 2026.
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