1
a
: a violent public disorder
specifically
: a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together and acting with a common intent
b
: public violence, tumult, or disorder
2
: a random or disorderly profusion
the woods were a riot of color
3
: one that is wildly amusing
the new comedy is a riot
4
archaic
a
: profligate behavior : debauchery
b
: unrestrained revelry
c
: noise, uproar, or disturbance made by revelers
rioted; rioting; riots
rioter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of riot in a Sentence
Noun
The news about the election caused a riot in the city.
A lot of property was damaged in the recent riots.
The woods are a riot of color in the autumn.
The movie was an absolute riot.
Verb
Students rioted after their team lost the football game.
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Joyner The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), arkansasonline.com, 25 Nov. 2023
And in the federal election interference case, a judge ruled that references to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot should not be removed from Trump’s indictment, rejecting Trump’s request to do so.
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
But in New Mexico, a state court judge ruled that a county commissioner had to be removed from his post and is barred from holding any federal or state office under Section 3 because of his participation in the Jan. 6 riot.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
Chauvin and his legal team had argued that his 2021 trial in Minneapolis was held during a time of political upheaval, and the jury was tainted by the likelihood of even more violent riots if he had been acquitted.
—Brianna Herlihy, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2023
Speaking of national security, WIRED spoke this week with Jacob Chansley, aka the Qanon Shaman, who plans to run for the US Congress after becoming a poster child for the US Capitol riot on January 6.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
The duo still took their time to crack the story, using a Black Friday riot at a big box store as their inciting incident, and Roth, at this very moment, now has the best reviews of his career.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
DeSantis came out swinging this week, going after Haley over everything from her response to the riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death to her views on immigration to her recent comments about the need for verification for social-media users.
—Brittany Bernstein, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023
Before that, Carroll headed the police department’s homeland security bureau, putting him in charge of high-profile incidents that included the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and two presidential inaugurations.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023
Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
From ‘mission accomplished’ to riot: Inside the chaotic first month at Los Padrinos.
—Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Weeks before the assault, Palestinians had rioted and fired explosive balloons near the sophisticated border fence separating Israel from Gaza.
—Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Since then, other politicians and political leaders have been killed or kidnapped, car bombs have exploded in multiple cities, including the capital, Quito, and inmates have rioted in prisons.
—Regina Garcia Cano and Gonzalo Solano, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2023
In June last year, 31 Patriot Front members were arrested on misdemeanor conspiracy to riot charges after they were found inside a U-Haul truck near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
—Wbz-News Staff, CBS News, 5 Sep. 2023
When White was convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, many in the community rioted.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023
In October, migrants rioted at a detention center in the border city of Tijuana, where police and National Guard troops swooped in to restore order.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023
Trump supporters rioted on January 6, with many arguing Trump himself had summoned them to Washington.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2023
See More
Noun
So far, 29 people with Georgia ties have been charged with crimes relating to the Jan. 6 riot.
—Chris Joyner The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), arkansasonline.com, 25 Nov. 2023
And in the federal election interference case, a judge ruled that references to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot should not be removed from Trump’s indictment, rejecting Trump’s request to do so.
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023
But in New Mexico, a state court judge ruled that a county commissioner had to be removed from his post and is barred from holding any federal or state office under Section 3 because of his participation in the Jan. 6 riot.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
Chauvin and his legal team had argued that his 2021 trial in Minneapolis was held during a time of political upheaval, and the jury was tainted by the likelihood of even more violent riots if he had been acquitted.
—Brianna Herlihy, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2023
Speaking of national security, WIRED spoke this week with Jacob Chansley, aka the Qanon Shaman, who plans to run for the US Congress after becoming a poster child for the US Capitol riot on January 6.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
The duo still took their time to crack the story, using a Black Friday riot at a big box store as their inciting incident, and Roth, at this very moment, now has the best reviews of his career.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Nov. 2023
DeSantis came out swinging this week, going after Haley over everything from her response to the riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death to her views on immigration to her recent comments about the need for verification for social-media users.
—Brittany Bernstein, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023
Before that, Carroll headed the police department’s homeland security bureau, putting him in charge of high-profile incidents that included the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and two presidential inaugurations.
—Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023
Verb
Those who were college-educated were just as likely as high school students to riot.
—Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023
From ‘mission accomplished’ to riot: Inside the chaotic first month at Los Padrinos.
—Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023
Weeks before the assault, Palestinians had rioted and fired explosive balloons near the sophisticated border fence separating Israel from Gaza.
—Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Since then, other politicians and political leaders have been killed or kidnapped, car bombs have exploded in multiple cities, including the capital, Quito, and inmates have rioted in prisons.
—Regina Garcia Cano and Gonzalo Solano, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2023
In June last year, 31 Patriot Front members were arrested on misdemeanor conspiracy to riot charges after they were found inside a U-Haul truck near a Pride event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
—Wbz-News Staff, CBS News, 5 Sep. 2023
When White was convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, many in the community rioted.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023
In October, migrants rioted at a detention center in the border city of Tijuana, where police and National Guard troops swooped in to restore order.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023
Trump supporters rioted on January 6, with many arguing Trump himself had summoned them to Washington.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'riot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing riot
Dictionary Entries Near riot
Cite this Entry
“Riot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riot. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
riot
1 of 2 noun
ri·ot
ˈrī-ət 
1
: public violence, disturbance, or disorder
2
: a varied display of color
3
: something or someone very funny
riot
2 of 2 verb
: to create or take part in a riot
rioter
noun
Legal Definition
riot
1 of 2 noun
ri·ot
: a disturbance of the peace created by an assemblage of usually three or more people acting with a common purpose and in a violent and tumultuous manner to the terror of the public
also
: the crime of rioting
riot
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to create or engage in a riot
rioter
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on riot
Nglish: Translation of riot for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of riot for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about riot
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