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
Germany’s conservative leader Friedrich Merz was successfully elected chancellor of the country Tuesday after a historic initial defeat on his first ballot, which caused tumult in the Bundestag, or the lower house of parliament.
—
Rachel Scully, The Hill, 6 May 2025
Escalating concern over stratospheric US debt levels drove last month’s credit rating downgrade from Moody’s, which helped spark another round of tumult in the world’s largest and most liquid bond market.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
Arvind and Fashion for Good are holding onto the hope that despite the economic tumult caused by geopolitical strife and exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s whipsawing tariffs, brands remain committed to their climate targets despite the high investment costs and the less tangible payback.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 June 2025
Hughes profiles a range of government technocrats working in eras of tumult—including the Great Depression and the energy crisis of the nineteen-seventies—to support the notion that setting clear objectives and giving skilled, intelligent people resources and flexibility will bear fruit.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Rachel Scully, The Hill, 6 May 2025
Escalating concern over stratospheric US debt levels drove last month’s credit rating downgrade from Moody’s, which helped spark another round of tumult in the world’s largest and most liquid bond market.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
Arvind and Fashion for Good are holding onto the hope that despite the economic tumult caused by geopolitical strife and exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s whipsawing tariffs, brands remain committed to their climate targets despite the high investment costs and the less tangible payback.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 June 2025
Hughes profiles a range of government technocrats working in eras of tumult—including the Great Depression and the energy crisis of the nineteen-seventies—to support the notion that setting clear objectives and giving skilled, intelligent people resources and flexibility will bear fruit.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
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Noem stopped speaking for a brief moment during the commotion, then immediately continued.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
Press became aware of West’s presence when there was a loud commotion outside the courtroom and a figure in a white-on-white denim outfit was spotted entering the public entrance at the 500 Pearl Street Courthouse.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The canons dismantled during the Theory incursion of the 1970s and ’80s introduced a more inclusive world of letters, even as the upheaval left English departments fragmented.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
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The upheaval left Martin Luther King, Jr., who had stood alongside Johnson at the signing of the Voting Rights Act, feeling shaken.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
Noun
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This was the first finals game in Indianapolis in 25 years, and the roar of the Hoosier faithful throughout the night was something to behold.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
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The roar of the Thunderbirds filled the sky Saturday over Beale Air Force Base, long known for the more clandestine surveillance and recon missions of the U.S. Air Force.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
Noun
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The talk started in earnest in the fall of 2023, although even then there were signs of potential long-term disturbance.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
It is also noted in that release, however, that police had never responded to a domestic disturbance at the couple's home.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Trump orders 'largest mass deportation operation' as unrest erupts in major cities.—
,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2025
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The pair worked in leadership together through the tribulations of the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the resulting unrest.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Yufei Long, who hails from Shenzhen, China and came to the US to play top-level Tennis, also made some noise here, qualifying and then taking out No. 21 Blatt and No. 14 Schaefer before stretching No.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Walden injected a bit of noise into his playing style with the group, citing guitarists J Mascis, Thurston Moore, and Jimi Hendrix as influences.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Market turmoil Stock futures are down Friday morning in the wake of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.—
Sara Salinas,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
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Related article The world’s second-largest gold storage suddenly has very long lines to withdraw bars As bonds have been volatile and the dollar has weakened amid tariff turmoil, weird investments like silver and platinum have emerged as a way to hedge against the tremendous uncertainty.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Later on, Zegler caused a stir with politically divisive social media posts about the 2024 presidential election.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Ohtani’s return to pitching caused a stir around Chavez Ravine.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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