1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
there was a welter of pushing and shoving as people rushed to grab the best seats for the outdoor concert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jumble
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a welter of junk in the closet, most of which needed to be thrown out
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the claim that a troop withdrawal would plunge the country into a welter of anarchy and endless civil war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of welter
Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
For everything else, his recollection is a sometimes overwhelming welter.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
The welter of stories about unidentified drones over New York and New Jersey multiply, as do the myriad speculations.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Our mother was at the wheel because Tom refused to learn to drive a car, while Ellen and I sat in the back seat, staring out anxiously from beneath a welter of books and the glinting gold wrappers of a dozen Cadbury Milks.
—Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for welter
Verb
Frank Taylor, the longtime San Jose redevelopment director who died this month at 87, lived and reigned through a welter of contradictions.
—Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
For everything else, his recollection is a sometimes overwhelming welter.
—Han Ong, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
The welter of stories about unidentified drones over New York and New Jersey multiply, as do the myriad speculations.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
Our mother was at the wheel because Tom refused to learn to drive a car, while Ellen and I sat in the back seat, staring out anxiously from beneath a welter of books and the glinting gold wrappers of a dozen Cadbury Milks.
—Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for welter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for welter
Noun
-
Play was delayed for several minutes when a spectator needed medical attention after Alcaraz noticed the commotion in the stands.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 June 2025
-
There followed a small commotion of friendliness—apologies, laughter—after which we were led to our seats and sent a free passion-fruit donut.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
29 June 2025
Noun
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The bacteria causing havoc for summer swimmers include E.coli and Enterococcus — nasty germs often found in the feces of people and animals.—
Shreya Srinivasan,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
-
Cilic was never in the contest because of a foot blister that was causing havoc with pain and movement, something that was imperative against the balletic Federer.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Huda is already wallowing in self-loathing after the challenge, but Chelley will not hear Huda’s apology right now or ever because this was a gross betrayal of the sisterhood.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
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This finding was different from the wallowing behavior of captive populations that often wallow under the cover of darkness.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Officers responded to a report of a disturbance involving someone with a gun, according to the department’s initial news release.—
Laura Bauer
July 12,
Kansas City Star,
12 July 2025
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According to Bessette, a preliminary investigation found that a disturbance outside involving a group of individuals led to the shooting.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The stew usually has a tomato-and-barbecue-sauce base and includes a medley of vegetables and potatoes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 July 2025
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So, Katz was, and continues to be, ahead of her time, offering a medley of individualized laser services (something that is still somewhat rare in combination) at a price that makes these often astronomical treatments relatively accessible.—
Nora Zelevansky,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Across the street, the Brook household is thrown into chaos as Agnes refuses to accept Ada's new position as lady of the house.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
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Delta's annual earnings per share guidance was lower than its forecast in January but higher than Wall Street's estimates, helping allay some fears about recent tariff chaos.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Prosecutors alleged Kelsey illegally shuffled money from his state senate campaigin committee to his federal campaign.—
Melissa Brown,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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Each of these had a variable number of lithium atoms at each of the corners of these structures, and molecular simulations showed that lithium ions could readily move between these locations, allowing the material to shuffle ions around rapidly.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Welter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/welter. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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