unbalancing

verb

present participle of unbalance
as in distracting
to cause to go insane or as if insane the shock of the loss of his wife and children completely unbalanced him

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 unbalancing The risk is that only a handful of clubs will be able to cough up those sums, unbalancing the market. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbalancing
  1. distracting
  2. disturbing
  3. deranging
  4. bothering
  5. upsetting
  6. confusing
  7. unhinging
  8. unsettling
Verb
  • As is the case in its sister hotel Villa la Coste, a dizzying array of frequently changing contemporary artworks are displayed to distracting effect throughout.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • His clothes and equipment, while full of detail, also aren’t festooned with distracting elements.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of distracting
Verb
  • For example, in the 20th century there was a flawed world leader who held rigid ideologies, racial biases, and disturbing personal behaviors.
    — Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Her go-to is the Diolsty Vibrating Alarm Wristband, which vibrates discreetly to alert you without disturbing the people around you.
    — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • Instagram demanded a certain sort of woman and then produced her, deranging broad swaths of the population in the process.
    — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026
  • Gabriel going missing proves to be deranging to Caroline, and the novel becomes increasingly deranged with her.
    — John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of deranging
Verb
  • Bri reached basically the same conclusion without bothering with the cardio experiment.
    — Kevin Fanady, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • His work is autobiographical and based on whatever has been bothering him that year.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • Meghan allegedly didn’t endure the same vetting process as Kate, reportedly to avoid upsetting Harry.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Both teams picked up pivotal wins last week, with the Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) upsetting rival Baylor 17-6, while the Mountaineers (4-3, 1-3) earned a thrilling, last-second 45-42 win over Cincinnati.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of upsetting
Verb
  • The decision to pursue short-term Band-Aid measures for a weak labor market and foreign trade tensions is confusing at first pass.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Trump and his officials also offered confusing messages as to why Starshield — which Ukraine uses for drone strikes and air defense — had been throttled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Burmese pythons, which can engulf an entire Presidential golfing party simply by unhinging their (the pythons’) jaws, inhabit the environs of the Gulf of Mexico, and have even been seen swimming offshore.
    — Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of unhinging
Verb
  • All of a sudden, the war took on a more present form, unsettling a kingdom unused to conflicts playing out on home turf.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • But the long gearing also has its benefits in fast driving, allowing full-throttle use without overwhelming the chassis or unsettling the rear end on corner exit.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettling

Browse Nearby Words

unbalances
unbalancing
unban
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Cite this Entry

“Unbalancing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbalancing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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