as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the perturbing news meant that we'd have to end our vacation prematurely
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the caller's strange remark perturbed me enough to keep me awake that night
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of perturbing
Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Even more perturbing is the possibility that the gangs, which have grown more independent from their past elite sponsors, could put forward their own candidates.
—Renata Segura, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2024
Peters, affecting an unnervingly flat Wisconsin accent, gets to give yet another perturbing performance.
—Caroline Framke, Variety, 21 Sep. 2022
These questions remain as A Lot of Nothing careens to a shock-value ending that’s more perturbing than exciting.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
Harry Booth, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The movie is presented in the style of a true-crime documentary, with a narrator who occasionally appears on screen to provide commentary on Cobb's perturbing transgressions.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
Now Hank has to contend with ride-share apps, boba, and bike lanes that interfere with his commute—adjustments that are perturbing to him.
—Adrienne Matei, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
Brown said the broader language in the bill that’s perturbing foreign investors is likely intended to be a safeguard against semantic workarounds for instituting digital service taxes and subsidiary top-up taxes — not to be a general-purpose punitive tool in an escalating trade war.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 11 June 2025
The new and somewhat perturbing actions that have been observed in early trials of the most advanced models comes from the disjunction between the AI's advanced capabilities and its fundamental lack of human-like moral reasoning or emotional capacity.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
But Citron has proved to be one of the most surefire defensive options in this year’s draft, pairing a perturbing timing off the ball with her notable length at 6-foot-1 to grow into one of the nation’s most disruptive defenders.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Even more perturbing is the possibility that the gangs, which have grown more independent from their past elite sponsors, could put forward their own candidates.
—Renata Segura, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2024
Peters, affecting an unnervingly flat Wisconsin accent, gets to give yet another perturbing performance.
—Caroline Framke, Variety, 21 Sep. 2022
These questions remain as A Lot of Nothing careens to a shock-value ending that’s more perturbing than exciting.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
Verb
The collision would trigger fusion, perturbing a magnetic field, which in turn produces power.
—Harry Booth, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perturbing
Adjective
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But the extent of our housing affordability crisis is more disturbing than ever before.—
Margi Glavovic Nothard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
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Beginning with a montage of news footage from the day — the notorious May 1985 European Cup final between Italian club Juventus and English rivals Liverpool — the film’s open text informs viewers, or rather warns them, that disturbing historical images may follow.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Recently, something new appeared on the landscape, alarming wildlife advocates like Christina Aiello.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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After her husband took her pets out of the room, Bloor then faced the even more delicate task of safely removing herself from the bed without alarming the snake.—
Phil Boucher,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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If the devoted nun resembles the raving patient, does that not justify locking them away, protecting ourselves from their unsettling power?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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One of the many unsettling images to emerge from the recent ICE surge in Minneapolis was that of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, in his blue bunny hat, standing in the January cold with the hand of a federal officer gripping his Spider-Man backpack.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To match the child actor who plays young Neil, Levitt wears blue contacts over his naturally brown eyes, which aren’t nearly as distracting in this pass.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
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Next, a Route 66 sign appears briefly along the periphery, surrounded by additional distracting road signs.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What’s even more troubling is how often discrimination and violence are witnessed and met with silence.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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What’s particularly troubling Green is that his utility company gave him no warning or explanation for the spike in costs.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One Florida resident reportedly hired a local mover without bothering to determine if the company was licensed, only to run into a boatload of trouble.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
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In 2017 Dikansh Parmar of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany, rescued an Indian cobra (Naja naja) coiled around a train’s window bars that was hissing and, understandably, frightening passengers.—
Richard Kemeny,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mood today was more tenuous, the industry crowd mulling in the lobby with cocktails, discussing the tail end of awards season and the controversy coming out of the Berlin Film Festival concerning politically cautious juror statements.—
Film Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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In addition, two related proposals would exempt records concerning the decision to designate groups as terrorist organizations from public disclosure.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perturbing. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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