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
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
The lack of police action is troubling to Zack’s previous victims as well, particularly Paul and Amanda.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 3 Apr. 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
And that’s just one of the many troubling holes on Miami’s defense, which completely gutted the secondary from the 2025 season by not re-signing Rasul Douglas, Jack Jones, Kader Kohou, Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu, and trading Minkah Fitzpatrick.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
The lack of police action is troubling to Zack’s previous victims as well, particularly Paul and Amanda.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 3 Apr. 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
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The Drama stars Robert Pattinson and Zendaya as Charlie and Emma, a young couple whose lives and upcoming wedding are thrown into disarray when the latter drunkenly reveals a disturbing secret from her past.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Apr. 2026
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The details her 10-year-old daughter provided were disturbing for any parent to hear.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That's where Somali businesses struggled due to customers worrying that ICE might arrest them while shopping.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Colleagues had been worrying about Metayer Bowen all day long.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Jackson County Legislature is currently weighing an ordinance that would set a 120-day moratorium on any land use applications that propose building a data center in county limits.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
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The underground excavation machine, weighing around 500 tons, is designed to dig vertical shafts through solid rock at depths previously difficult to reach using conventional mining techniques.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
According to the film’s official logline, the story begins when police chief Bum-seok, played by Hwang, receives unsettling news from local youths that a tiger has appeared in the hills, a report that erupts into village-wide panic and soon escalates into something far stranger.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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As the façade of privilege begins to crack, the film charts an unsettling psychological terrain.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And the students liked being able to listen to the material repeatedly without inconveniencing a human reader.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Troubling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubling. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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