1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the tumult of the evacuation from the coast, we accidentally left on the television, which was of course tuned to the local newscast breathlessly reporting on the hurricane we were fleeing
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2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the political tumult that swept the American colonies in the late 1700s
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3
as in roar
a violent shouting
went to the window to see what the great tumult was and discovered a crowd of demonstrators marching down the street
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tumult
Sedona’s superstars are its vivid sandstone, limestone, shale and basalt formations, sculpted by millions of years of geologic tumult.
—
New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Paramount has faced great tumult in recent years, and Dini’s note reflected that.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Regardless of any tumult in the world, and in Minnesota specifically, the state fair has remained a fortress of nostalgia and folksy civic cheer.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The goals set out for Musk and Tesla are extremely ambitious given recent tumult at the Texas company.
—Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Paramount has faced great tumult in recent years, and Dini’s note reflected that.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Regardless of any tumult in the world, and in Minnesota specifically, the state fair has remained a fortress of nostalgia and folksy civic cheer.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
The goals set out for Musk and Tesla are extremely ambitious given recent tumult at the Texas company.
—Michelle Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
-
The newsmagazine’s previous season was filled with commotion, but Whitaker says there is noise about something tied to the show almost every year.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Oprah Winfrey, who popped up earlier in the week at Ralph Lauren's fashion show, caused quite the commotion with her appearance at Christian Siriano's runway show Friday.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Dimon has led the bank since 2005, guiding it through periods of upheaval to notch record profits in 7 of the last 10 years.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The industry hasn’t seen this much upheaval since 1997, the last comparable seminal moment in fashion.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From the roar of the crowd to the quiet focus of a camera shutter, former Philadelphia Eagles HOFer Malcolm Jenkins has gracefully transitioned from NFL star to passionate photographer.—
John Armwood III,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
His voice was still raw from calling plays over the roar of Lincoln Financial Field.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The disturbance is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches with isolated maximum totals of 16 inches in eastern Cuba, and 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Bahamas.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The disturbance draws Rafferty and his men into the heart of the crowd — and away from the entrances — to break up the skirmish.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kenyan security forces were deployed to Haiti in waves over the course of 2024 and 2025 to help the Caribbean nation as it was destabilized by gang violence and civil unrest.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Sep. 2025
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There has been more unrest latelt, including the shooting into the offices of Sacramento ABC affiliate KXTV (ABC10) on Friday.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There’s always been noise downtown Downtown Fort Worth sits at the intersection of three freeways, a train yard, and serves as both a central business district and entertainment spot.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Forget about trying to pick out the key sounds through the crowd noise.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even with the constant turmoil on special teams, the offense routinely made it into Patriots territory.—
Mike Kaye
September 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Callie, the hottest person at Seattle Grace, went through so much turmoil and humiliation in her relationships prior to that, including, but not limited to, being cheated on by her husband and being dumped by a newly out lesbian who couldn’t handle her being bisexual.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With his singular, deafening howl, Lindberg helped put At the Gates at the forefront of Gothenburg, Sweden’s melodic death metal revolution.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The wind’s howl filled my left ear and the music blasted from my speakers filled my right.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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