as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the smallest things can upset us if we're already stressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overturning
to turn on one's side or upside down
the narrow boat upsets easily and should be handled with care
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
the change in the bus schedule upset our daily routine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upsetting
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Teachers may no longer resort to sharing upsetting content to shock students into paying attention.
—Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Sporting made it to the top eight, upsetting PSG and, perhaps, benefiting from not playing any Premier League teams.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Adjective
That might mean that us Americans are already sick of Sneako, Myron Gaines, and the rest of the loudmouthed misogynist podcast crew that Theroux struggles to comprehend in this amusing and upsetting documentary.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Teachers may no longer resort to sharing upsetting content to shock students into paying attention.
—Boaz Dvir, The Conversation, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Instead of stopping, the hurricane changed course and blew out over land, upsetting a number of people and creating a great deal of damage.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
Sporting made it to the top eight, upsetting PSG and, perhaps, benefiting from not playing any Premier League teams.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsetting
Adjective
-
Most disturbing, the largest net loss of IRS filers continues to be among young adults.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
So, yes, Reingold’s story identified some disturbing failures.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Recently, something new appeared on the landscape, alarming wildlife advocates like Christina Aiello.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That is why the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs brought an immediate sense of relief.—
Serena Sato,
Baltimore Sun,
31 Mar. 2026
-
It's become a cornerstone of public school policy nationwide, but is being called into question again, and, with a stronger conservative majority on the Court than in 1982, overturning the ruling could radically reshape public education.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Aid workers at Ladan say the raging war in the Middle East — more than 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles) away — has made their work harder, disrupting supplies and sending fuel costs soaring.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In a moment when the market is worried about the technology disrupting a slew of online companies' business models, Young believes Chewy is a safe play.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The unsolved nature of the Bradley case is unsettling, to say the least.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Skeptics point out oral exams can be unsettling for students who are shy or have serious anxiety, but clarifying the format ahead of time and starting with softball questions can help, says Carolyn Aslan, who leads Cornell’s oral exam training.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not all Mauss’s material lends equally well to visualizations, and there are moments in the special when the animations are more distracting than additive.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The combination with the neutral dark-blue jean skirt keeps the look still feeling grown-up and not too distracting.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Frontex patrol boat sank off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo after capsizing, the coast guard said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Operators of another boat happened to be on the phone with the Coast Guard checking conditions in the inlet and reported the vessel, the Moonstruck, capsizing, according to The Coastland Times.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This device is a high-tech centrifuge that simulates microgravity by spinning vials with samples around two axes, effectively confusing the cells inside as to their position in space.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
During the Second World War, the Allies put a special effort into confusing the Axis powers.—
David Szondy
March 25,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsetting. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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