1
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the turbulent struggle for civil rights that shook up American society in the 1960s
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rough
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
the turbulent rapids of the river were certainly daunting to those of us who were new to river rafting
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3
as in bleak
marked by wet and windy conditions
expect turbulent weather as the cold front brings rain and sleet
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4
as in tumultuous
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
these are turbulent, dangerous times in a region known for being a powder keg
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turbulent
Scandoval Throughout much of their time on Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval and Madix appeared to be one of the more stable and consistent couples amongst their group of turbulent friends.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
As per the study, planes themselves can act as airborne sensors and help identify turbulent zones in near real time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy heading into 2026.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Quantum technology firms are defying turbulent markets to go public this year, as the industry seeks to raise capital off recent scientific breakthroughs and push the experimental tech towards commercialization.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
As per the study, planes themselves can act as airborne sensors and help identify turbulent zones in near real time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy heading into 2026.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Quantum technology firms are defying turbulent markets to go public this year, as the industry seeks to raise capital off recent scientific breakthroughs and push the experimental tech towards commercialization.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulent
Adjective
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In 2023, a report from the Police Executive Research Forum, a national think tank on policing standards, called for police to put the brakes on car chases unless a violent crime has been committed and the suspect poses an imminent threat.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The enemy was large and violent.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Heat has also now allowed more than 120 points in eight of the 10 games during this rough 2-8 stretch.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Italian coast guard operated in the Libyan search and rescue area amid rough weather conditions, a spokesman said on Wednesday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the state education department questioned this week whether the picture is as bleak as Superintendent Andrae Townsel’s administration has described.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
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Amid the chaos under Yeltsin, a bleak frontier culture took hold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Written and recorded in the tumultuous post–Keith Moon period of The Who, the album became a deeply personal LP for Townshend, and The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey would later express dissatisfaction that some of the tracks were not considered for the band.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Italy happens to be in similarly ferocious form, however, and has won seven of its last eight, albeit losing twice in as many encounters with qualifying group winner Norway last year.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Despite Iran’s remarkably ferocious response across the region – attacking neighbors like Oman who days earlier mediated between Tehran and Washington - weeks of intense airstrikes against its cities and military has not magically left it a hundred feet tall.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Her work plainly belongs to this lineage of witchy writers, women whose deliciously corrupted scenes of home and hearth produce fear and wild laughter at once.—
Kristen Roupenian,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Sure, there were errant 3-pointers, and a wild reverse layup that was way off in the third quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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After a rainy Easter Sunday in Maryland, temperatures will drop below normal for the next few days.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The mighty tiny shellear from Africa The shellear fish (Parakneria thysi) begins its ascent up the vertical wall of the falls in the splash zone at the end of the rainy season (April-May).—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Since then there have been sporadic signs of life regarding the venue, mostly to do with liquor licensing and permit requests, such as last October when a company called Dome Center LLC filed an application for a conditional-use permit.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Over the last week, government responses had been sporadic, but seemed to signal that the return was a matter of when — not if.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turbulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulent. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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