troubles 1 of 2

noun

plural of trouble
1
as in ailments
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning hoping that the doctor will be able to accurately diagnose my trouble

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2
as in threats
something that may cause injury or harm that wild dog is trouble, so stay away

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3
as in problems
something that requires thought and skill for resolution the police officers first broke up the fight and then asked what the trouble was

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4
as in efforts
the active use of energy in producing a result please, don't go to all that trouble just for me

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troubles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trouble
1
as in worries
to experience concern or anxiety don't trouble about me—I'll be fine

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2
as in inconveniences
to cause discomfort to or trouble for I hate to trouble you, but would you mind moving for a minute so I can sweep under your chair?

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of troubles
Noun
The owner intended to close due to relationship troubles with her husband. — Conor Wight, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and his Democratic competitor Amy Acton traded jabs this week after previous troubles came to light in the toss-up race. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026 The district’s budget troubles have been worsened by leadership turnover among top school officials. — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 In April, Bloomberg reported on troubles at Cooper’s company, spurred in part by juggling too many business ventures, including executive turnover, shows that failed to become major hits and staff issues with Kaplan, who often yelled at employees. — Ashley Carman, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026 The orchestra's money troubles were first reported by The Washington Post. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 Investors found out about the company’s troubles in an explosive article published by The Cut last year, which reported that the company was burdened by internal power and relationship struggles. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 His legal troubles escalated to jail time in June, after his positive THC test violated a probation specifically designed to stop this conversation from returning for a third installment. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 Previously, insurance companies had refused to cover Downey due to past substance-use and legal troubles. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
But what troubles him most is not only what has disappeared from textbooks. — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 One death especially, that of his young cousin Sinon (Elliot Page), troubles him most of all. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026 The asymmetry—Anthropic penalized while OpenAI was not—is what troubles him most. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026 But what really troubles him is something larger. — Clay Chandler, semafor.com, 19 June 2026 There’s something that troubles her about this. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026 What troubles me most is the speed. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026 What troubles me most about the manosphere documentary is not the influencers themselves. — Steven Burg, Sun Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2026 Understanding this cold-sensing protein could one day lead to better therapies for cold hypersensitivity that often troubles people undergoing certain types of cancer chemotherapies. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troubles
  1. ailments
  2. threats
  3. problems
  4. efforts
  5. worries
  6. inconveniences
  7. illnesses
  8. dangers
Noun
  • Typically, those ailments — think flu and respiratory syncytial virus — spike in the winter, and aren’t really seen outside of that season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Medics treat heat stroke and other ailments from trailers while an announcer calls out an endless stream of names of people separated from their families.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of ailments
Noun
  • The goal is also to keep the aircraft adaptable as threats and military requirements change.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Geopolitical tensions are bringing critical dependencies and chokepoints into sharper focus, while Europe faces growing security threats on its doorstep.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of threats
Noun
  • More seats, more problems Part of the solution is fixing predictable design flaws — like ensuring flight attendants can actually see passengers over high privacy walls — early in the development process to avoid last-minute delays.
    — Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And that could cause scores of other problems for our country.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of problems
Noun
  • The pair also exchanged views on recent diplomatic efforts aimed at advancing political and diplomatic solutions, the statement read, without going into further details.
    — August 20, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • But her frustration piles up as her efforts to track the package down repeatedly fail.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of efforts
Verb
  • Unemployment worries The jobs picture may be worse than official figures suggest.
    — Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • While her daughter has not experienced lasting health effects, VandenBerg worries about what remains unknown.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of worries
Verb
  • On-time performance across the entire San Diego trolley system has been boosted by a year-old East County service change that inconveniences a relatively small number of riders.
    — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
Definition of inconveniences
Noun
  • Khanna said medical costs remain a major source of financial insecurity, particularly for Americans diagnosed with serious illnesses.
    — Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Such interviews revealed that 95 percent had eaten at a Mexican-style restaurant like Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA before their illnesses.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of illnesses
Noun
  • These kinds of conversations can help protect kids against other dangers, too.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Cambodia's predicament shows that dangers remain even when fighting ends.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dangers

Browse Nearby Words

troublemaking
troubles
troubleshooter
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Cite this Entry

“Troubles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troubles. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on troubles

Nglish: Translation of troubles for Spanish Speakers

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