1
as in to disturb
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to distract
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 unhinge
Strange occurrences quickly destabilize the group, with the writer becoming increasingly unhinged, convinced the location has an inexplicable hold over her creative faculties.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The provocative, genre-defying horror flick boasts unhinged gore, a delightfully dark sense of humor, Madigan as the creepiest aunt ever, and a crowd-pleasing finale.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
The story was funny, messy, touching, and maybe just unhinged enough to feel like something that might belong in Austin.
—Jenna MacMillan, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
Hudson is unhinged and chaotic and hilarious, and Connor is so caring.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhinge
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The provocative, genre-defying horror flick boasts unhinged gore, a delightfully dark sense of humor, Madigan as the creepiest aunt ever, and a crowd-pleasing finale.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
The story was funny, messy, touching, and maybe just unhinged enough to feel like something that might belong in Austin.
—Jenna MacMillan, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
Hudson is unhinged and chaotic and hilarious, and Connor is so caring.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhinge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinge
Verb
-
Rose had collected art her whole life, cared a lot about her paintings, and was disturbed, obviously, by this fact that wasn’t a fact.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Marcet’s intention was certainly not to disturb the religious faith of her young readers, most of whom would have been raised on a literal understanding of the biblical creation story.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Sear/Sauté function gets quite hot even on its low setting, so some of my garlic got a shade too brown while I was distracted opening the can of tomato paste.—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Colorado State Patrol is reminding all drivers that distracted driving can lead to life or death consequences.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Eisenberg’s compositional intelligence has a near-merciless quality, zeroing in on feelings of calm and unsettling them.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The conflict has unsettled the housing market across the country.—
Brad Hamilton,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The 6-foot-2 Strong — AP’s Player of the Year — was bothered by South Carolina’s interior size, with several of her inside shots rattling in and out.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
But he isn’t bothered by the fact that the cost has jumped by more than $1 a gallon over the past month or so.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For all their faults, looksmaxxers are intent on de-fetishizing this particular commodity, revealing beauty to be the product of strenuous (and often deranging) labor.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But Murray worries about upholding his best friend’s wishes.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Horner also talked about being concerned about losing his job, wanting to see his child and worrying about what was going to happen to him, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The trouble was that this stance unbalanced him at home.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Imagine the wartime use of leaflets that were dropped in large quantities over battlefields, or onto townships, and contained a single message that was intended to mentally unbalance large numbers of citizens or soldiers.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Critics are alarmed by its presence at the White House, saying the group promotes extreme views and undermines public schools.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
They will also be alarmed by the recent series of intelligence failures and leaks.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinge. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
