as in confounding
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in diverting
to draw the attention or mind to something else
we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
distracted by the looming tax deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distracting
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
One internal Google presentation, which is undated, conceded that using YouTube for learning is hard because the platform is distracting and disorganized.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
The colour provided confidence and romance, while not distracting away from the beauty of the woman.
—Jye Marshall, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Josh asks for silence, then later explains — in an exasperated tone — that the ruckus was distracting him.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
Griffin has a bright future, but dreams of college or the WNBA are not distracting her from the here and now.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
And using hands-free voice assistants are just as distracting as a hands-free phone call.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The constant covering up and mental gymnastics of what to do to keep it hidden was just overwhelming and distracting and unlivable.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Choose a clean, non-distracting background that doesn’t compete with your mug for attention.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
It’s been only about three weeks since Trump toppled Maduro, and already a long line of other flashpoints — from immigration enforcement to Greenland — are distracting attention from what his administration is doing in Caracas.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The whole idea is to choose something that isn't too distracting.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
One internal Google presentation, which is undated, conceded that using YouTube for learning is hard because the platform is distracting and disorganized.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
The colour provided confidence and romance, while not distracting away from the beauty of the woman.
—Jye Marshall, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Josh asks for silence, then later explains — in an exasperated tone — that the ruckus was distracting him.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2026
Griffin has a bright future, but dreams of college or the WNBA are not distracting her from the here and now.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
And using hands-free voice assistants are just as distracting as a hands-free phone call.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The constant covering up and mental gymnastics of what to do to keep it hidden was just overwhelming and distracting and unlivable.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
Adjective
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
What is the most confounding and terrible, however, is Gretchen’s assertion that Slade, the anti-Viagra, doesn’t get involved with the women on his own accord, but only engages because the women always talk about him.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
States have also faced pressure from those who believe support of this program could inhibit public schools by diverting funds.—
Lexi Lonas Cochran,
The Hill,
30 Jan. 2026
-
For many animals, making offspring means eating more, moving less and/or diverting energy away from growth and survival.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The movie is hilarious, fun, disturbing, perplexing, exuberant, exhausting.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The canon can already be described as a bewildering artistic menagerie, including a perplexing assessment of misandrism, body horror by Brian Yuzna, killer toys from the ’90s, and more.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Some asserted that the commitment and costs of traveling and attending meetings paired with the limited compensation was detracting members of the public from running for office.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stress from disturbing events can drain a person’s cognitive bandwidth, even if output expectations remain the same.—
Paula Davis,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This combination of sensors supports reliable sleep tracking without disturbing your night.—
Sleepal,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The onlooker, Guillermo Dapelo, told People that the delivery bot had been stuck on the tracks for around fifteen minutes before being struck, making the incident all the more puzzling.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
28 Jan. 2026
-
And the most puzzling aspect of the loss was Carolina’s offense, which sputtered throughout a foggy afternoon.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
After her husband took her pets out of the room, Bloor then faced the even more delicate task of safely removing herself from the bed without alarming the snake.—
Phil Boucher,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
While a small sample size, the historical record for what happens after the S & P 500 has a down month after a seven-month win streak is more reassuring than alarming for the near term.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
