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
Relevance
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
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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
Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinging
Verb
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The lawsuit filed Thursday by Karen Read against Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police revealed a long history of disturbing text messages between former police officers Michael Proctor and Sean Goode that allegedly included racial slurs, sexist comments and other offensive material.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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The hunt does not require digging or disturbing the terrain in any way, organizers said.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
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The closures shrink the countywide advanced voting location network from 18 to 12 voting sites — alarming some Johnson County and city officials and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
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For Denver residents like Marisa Saturni-Johnson, the sirens were alarming enough to send her family into shelter.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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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
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Gabriel going missing proves to be deranging to Caroline, and the novel becomes increasingly deranged with her.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The formal obligation to bow or curtsy will force targets to bend a knee and break eye contact—a perfect opening for the President to place something distracting like a Twix bar on their heads.—
Dahlia Gallin Ramirez,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
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Reid plays this so well, but the direction is a little over the top, with drug-trip visuals that are too distracting to follow the dense-as-ever disjointed narration.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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Brunson turned on the boosters in the second half, attacking the Spurs' defense and showing little sign that his knee was bothering him.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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If certain smells or experiences are bothering you, here are some other tips for managing postpartum odor and sweat.—
Dory Zayas,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Verb
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In her first four months on the job, the new CEO of New York Public Radio has swiftly eliminated many of its seniormost figures, surprising the organization’s staff and unsettling some of its remaining leaders.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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The over 13-minute uncut interview shows the rapper thoroughly unsettling Colbert, in an improvised rap about, among other things, a romantic relationship between the pair of them.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Finding baby squirrels in your yard can be both heartwarming and concerning.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
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This year, Consumer Reports tested 49 more formulas and found concerning levels of contaminants in 26 of them.—
Rachel Fobar,
Daily News,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinging. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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