unhinging

verb

present participle of unhinge
1
as in disturbing
to cause to go insane or as if insane the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarming
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 unhinging 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinging
  1. disturbing
  2. alarming
  3. deranging
  4. distracting
  5. unbalancing
  6. bothering
  7. unsettling
  8. concerning
Verb
  • The relative rarity and disturbing nature of these cases are part of what attracts so much attention, said Michelle Oberman, a law professor at Santa Clara University who has studied and written about women who kill their children.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But after a series of disturbing events begins occurring around town, including the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Madeline, Celeste, Renata, Jane and Bonnie must grapple with the weight of their past secrets, a synopsis reads.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming
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
  • The distracting Diwali fireworks distracted led to reshoots of the pivotal moment.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Not only are these sheer curtains over half off right now, but the subtle stripe adds just enough visual interest without distracting from your room’s overall design scheme.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of distracting
Verb
  • 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
Definition of unbalancing
Verb
  • Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • The attack comes just days before fall classes begin at the historically Black university, unsettling students who had recently moved into residence halls and completed freshman orientation events.
    — Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That reshuffle opened the door for Amad, who shone on the right with a bustling performance, unsettling PSG with his sharp dribbling and laying on an assist for Mbeumo.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Verb
  • The clandestine manner in which LG monitors were installing ad-pushing software onto third-party devices, however, remains seriously concerning.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The organization says while a lot of work has been accomplished to bring those numbers down, any death in the community is concerning, every loss affects the community.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of concerning

Browse Nearby Words

unhinges
unhinging
unhip
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unhinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinging. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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