as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disturbed
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unhinged
Bob Ehrlich, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Deena Prichep, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
The locus of energy in My Lover, the Rabbi is not plot but comical, unhinged prose and extensive, psychoanalytic character readings.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhinged
Adjective
Indeed, a misguided sense of celebration marked the occasion for a subset of unhinged progressives, some of whom hold positions of trust (teachers, administrators, politicians) in our country.
—Bob Ehrlich, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
Santat’s illustrations begin with straightforward, muted sincerity and become brighter, busier, and more gleeful—filling every corner of the page—as Sharpson’s narrator becomes ever more unhinged, ranting about fish spies, fish disguises, and fish taking over the world.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
The cakes people bake using her tutorial have been delightfully unhinged.
—Deena Prichep, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
The locus of energy in My Lover, the Rabbi is not plot but comical, unhinged prose and extensive, psychoanalytic character readings.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unhinged
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinged
Adjective
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Netflix’s bracingly nasty action-thriller Apex is a fine addition, plonking the star down in a rugged Australian landscape and throwing nature’s formidable might at her while stirring a psychotic serial killer into the mix.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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The risk of a psychotic disorder rose fourfold when highly potent weed was used daily, the study found.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Blueberry plants also have a shallow root system that can be disturbed by planting annuals and is subject to competition from surrounding plants for water and nutrients.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
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The radiation from the flares reached Earth quickly and disturbed the ionosphere, the upper atmospheric layer that carries many radio and navigation signals.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like so many in her field, The Ohio State University oncologist Ning Jin is alarmed by the number of patients in their 30s and 40s with late-stage cancer in their lower digestive tract.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
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The casual acknowledgement of brushing off offers of bribes alarmed some Republican activists, who will endorse a candidate for governor at their state convention on May 16.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The recent release of the collection in Chanel stores even crazed a fashion frenzy in Paris as devote accessory lovers fought to ge their hands on a pair of Blazy’s high-vamp creations.—
Morgan Evans,
InStyle,
15 Mar. 2026
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Did someone repaint the mechanical horses for children one too many times and now their eyes look crazed?—
Xuan Juliana Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Portland couldn’t figure out how to pass off help assignments to deal with the downhill speed of San Antonio’s guards and wings, with the Blazers’ centers distracted on the perimeter.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The report also indicated the driver of the black truck was not suspected of being on drugs or alcohol and was not distracted when the crash happened.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the annals of English football, this shoots close to the top of the list of ridiculous moments, along with Troy Deeney’s mad goal for Watford in the Championship play-offs in 2013 and Sergio Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Manchester City in 2012.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Here's our list of the five best space prison movies (in no particular order, don't get mad at the numbers).—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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This series is the gripping tale of Paul’s real-time investigation into four murders related to Joe Naso, pitting one of America’s best detectives against one of its most prolific and deranged serial killers.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unhinged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinged. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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