turmoil

noun tur·moil \ ˈtər-ˌmȯi(-ə)l \

Definition of turmoil

: a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion

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Examples of turmoil in a Sentence

The country has been in turmoil for the past 10 years.
a period of political turmoil
His life has been in a constant turmoil.

Recent Examples of turmoil from the Web

The intense turmoil involving a senator’s extramarital affair and the covert surveillance of another powerful lawmaker is threatening to disrupt the next session of the Florida Legislature, a top legislator said Thursday.

— steve bousquet, miamiherald, "Paranoia rules Tallahassee as top lawmaker sees effort to ‘tear down the Senate’," 2 Nov. 2017
Recent traumatic hurricanes seem to reflect the country’s human turmoil.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "It’s 1968 All Over Again," 12 Oct. 2017
America has a volatile president, Hong Kong’s moneymen are concerned about Chinese meddling and there is turmoil in the Middle East.

— The Economist, "Keeping calm and carrying onBritish business marches cheerfully into the unknown," 9 Sep. 2017
In the 1970s, there was Watergate and war and turmoil in the Middle East, and housewives hung ivies, pothos and devil's backbone from their macramé plant hangers.

— lavanya ramanathan, chicagotribune.com, "Millennials are filling their homes — and the void in their hearts — with houseplants," 8 Sep. 2017
The collection includes portrait and still life paintings, sculptures and signs, many of which were created during times of political and social turmoil as the United States continued to develop as a nation.

— jennifer nalewicki, Smithsonian, "11 New Art Exhibits to See This Summer," 9 June 2017
There's been an unusual amount of turmoil behind the scenes at Radio City Music Hall this Christmas season.

— kaitlin menza, Marie Claire, "Rockette Management Tells Dancers to "Tolerate Intolerance"," 3 Jan. 2017
Ex-UnitedHealth executive Boudreaux to step in, report says Move would follow collapse of Cigna deal, Obamacare turmoilLess than a year after the implosion of his insurance megadeal, Anthem Inc.

— caroline chen, Bloomberg.com, "Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish Plans Departure, WSJ Reports," 3 Nov. 2017
After two-plus years of transition and turmoil, Morton is starting to resemble the program that Roy Richards built before he was forced out after the 2014 season.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Hutton: Joe Wharton helps Morton football get back to where it belongs," 5 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'turmoil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.