1
as in agitated
feeling overwhelming fear or worry
she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in preoccupied
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions
the distracted driver rear-ended the pickup truck that had stopped for the red light
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dazed
suffering from mental confusion
she's been chronically depressed and distracted since her husband's death
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in diverted
to draw the attention or mind to something else
we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in alarmed
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
distracted by the looming tax deadline
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracted
Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 6 June 2025
On Friday, debate on a highway safety bill, HB 7160, was halted while lawyers discussed whether a Republican amendment increasing the penalty for distracted drivers could be adopted under the rules without a referral to the Judiciary Committee.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2025
Eric Roberge, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
By the time Moynihan’s second paper came out, many white liberals, distracted by the war in Vietnam and disenchanted by Black militancy, had given up on the crusade for civil rights.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distracted
Adjective
The key, besides constant hydration, is to not get dizzy or distracted mid-flow.
—Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 6 June 2025
On Friday, debate on a highway safety bill, HB 7160, was halted while lawyers discussed whether a Republican amendment increasing the penalty for distracted drivers could be adopted under the rules without a referral to the Judiciary Committee.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2025
Verb
Don’t get distracted by things that don’t actually matter to you.
—Eric Roberge, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
By the time Moynihan’s second paper came out, many white liberals, distracted by the war in Vietnam and disenchanted by Black militancy, had given up on the crusade for civil rights.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distracted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracted
Adjective
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When officers arrived, Jones allegedly became more agitated and combative.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
24 June 2025
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Diana, the most glamorous and beautiful, married the Guinness brewery heir, had three children and then in a notorious scandal left her husband for Oswald Mosley, a notorious womanizer and fascist leader whose Black Shirts violently agitated for Nazi Germany as Britain prepared for war.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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In an era where so many action movies feel bloated, impersonal, or too preoccupied with setting up spin-offs, Plane is refreshingly straightforward.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Nora and Madeline, meanwhile, aren’t as well developed, but then again, they’re both entirely preoccupied throughout with trying to understand what on earth is going on in this creepy house, what their mothers aren’t telling them and why.—
Ilana Masad,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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In footage shared by local media, he was seen bloodied, dazed and clutching his mobile phone.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
13 June 2025
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The implication that Pax might be dealing with some issues came up again last month when he was photographed by the paparazzi in the early morning hours, stumbling out of the famed Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles, with a dazed grin and needing to be held up by friends, the Daily Mail reported.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
12 June 2025
Verb
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United Airlines said seven of their flights returned to their origin or were diverted to other airports, and added that all other flights scheduled to the airport on Friday were cancelled.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
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Seven United Airlines flights have returned to their point of origin or been diverted to other airports, according to the American carrier.—
Tamara Hardingham-Gill,
CNN,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When a chance encounter with a distraught stranger on a train goes horribly wrong, Jack Reacher (Ritchson) is drawn into a complex and deadly game that pits him against ruthless foes from the highest echelons of power.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
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Chuck was distraught, ranting on the Council floor about how unfair his premature ouster was.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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There were also problems connecting to the internet and to phone networks, leaving many bewildered and unable to obtain information.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Tornado is a bewildered Japanese girl (played by pop singer Kôki) who fights off a horde of white men, thieving gold vagabonds who represent both Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Celtic ancestry.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 June 2025
Verb
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These five destinations show that sharing the shore with animals can be calm, safe and memorable for the right reasons when animals aren’t fed or disturbed.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Even the guards appeared to be disturbed.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But even in a Congress filled with newcomers, the memory of 2018 (and its electoral fallout for a beleaguered GOP) should be fresh enough to keep people worried.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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As Republicans work to pass President Donald Trump's reconciliation bill by his July 4 deadline, many are worried about the changes that could be coming to Medicaid.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracted. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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