as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Sommer Brugal, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
There have been rumors of Holland and Zendaya getting hitched for a while, culminating in some of the most upsetting AI art your aunt could ever share on Facebook.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Ranked in the preseason Top 25, the Jayhawks limped to a 2-6 start before upsetting 7-1 Iowa State.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upsetting 
Adjective
In its place is now Palm Tree Club, an upscale hotel, dining and event space that's already upsetting its new neighbors.
—Sommer Brugal, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025
There have been rumors of Holland and Zendaya getting hitched for a while, culminating in some of the most upsetting AI art your aunt could ever share on Facebook.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company’s stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Ranked in the preseason Top 25, the Jayhawks limped to a 2-6 start before upsetting 7-1 Iowa State.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upsetting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsetting
Adjective
-
Nakamura, the father, was interned along with his Japanese American family during WWII, a shameful and disturbing period in 20th-century American history that has never been fully acknowledged or dealt with on a national level.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
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This is a dark and disturbing script that, circa 1996, would have been better handled by Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher.—
Brian Smolensky and James Mercadante,
EW.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Protests keep disrupting life in Dhaka, the capital.—
Saif Hasnat Atul Loke,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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In-app ads, which go through compliance checks to avoid disrupting gameplay, offer creators 70% of ad revenue, with Overwolf retaining 30%.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Yes, some of the gross body-horror stuff is very unsettling, but that’s not enough to make this a good movie.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
And to think that the ground is ever-changing, well, that's a bit unsettling.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
7 Jan. 2025
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In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This gender disparity is particularly troubling given that 79% of working women—compared with 58% of working men—are in occupations susceptible to generative AI disruption.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Those tapes, and Sampson’s 38-page criminal history — including charges never even pursued by prosecutors — raise some troubling questions about the conduct of the city’s police officers.—
JULIE K. BROWN,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This pre-dates the casual fashions that would take hold during the 1960s, eventually collapsing traditional dressiness by the 1970s, making Sumbariners and GMT Masters the thing to wear.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse On March 26, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the bridge and killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on the span.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.—
Julie Goldenberg,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near upsetting
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsetting. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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