1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

distracting 1 of 2

adjective

as in confounding

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

distracting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of distract
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
Adjective
How to say no to all the distractions and everything that’s pulling at you in the most distracting era maybe in human history. — David Katz, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Choose a clean, non-distracting background that doesn’t compete with your mug for attention. — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
The tale of any historical figure is also one of time and place, but despite these looming ideas, the film’s particular unspooling has a distracting quality. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 Suppressing tics as treatment Suppressing tics can be distracting and exhausting, yet decades of research has shown that tic suppression can be strengthened and used therapeutically. — Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026 While the behavior was distracting, Osaka hopes that bringing tennis to a new audience overall will benefit the sport, as long as new fans learn the rules and etiquette of spectating. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026 Years ago, the video screen projected an extra set of uprights for opponents, while Patriots kickers saw a less distracting image. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Some found the logo distracting, but Google Search interest in YouTube TV more than doubled. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The Naturepedic data shows just how distracting the mental load can be. — Parents, 28 Aug. 2026 The distracting Diwali fireworks distracted led to reshoots of the pivotal moment. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Not only are these sheer curtains over half off right now, but the subtle stripe adds just enough visual interest without distracting from your room’s overall design scheme. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
  1. confounding
  2. diverting
  3. bothering
  4. perplexing
  5. detracting
  6. disturbing
  7. puzzling
  8. alarming
Adjective
  • Its study of dark matter and dark energy could also give scientists new insights into two of the most confounding puzzles in astronomy.
    — Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of confounding
Verb
  • The incursions forced Chișinău International Airport to temporarily suspend arrivals and departures Tuesday, sending incoming flights into holding patterns or diverting them to neighboring countries, according to tracking data.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Clients are also experimenting with diverting excess data center heat to warm swimming pools in winter.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of diverting
Verb
  • The list of maladies bothering Ohtani is lengthy, and grew this week.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Ohtani reported that the area from his biceps to his neck was bothering him Wednesday night, Roberts said.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothering
Adjective
  • The messages, which NPR has obtained and authenticated, are perplexing.
    — NPR, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
  • So much about the two circumstances is different, many of them instituted by Key because of losses like the one to Pitt (though that makes getting bullied by Colorado only more perplexing).
    — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of perplexing
Verb
  • An expansion into New Mexico would add oil revenue from the Permian Basin to Texas, adding to its economy and detracting, in turn, from New Mexico's.
    — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of detracting
Verb
  • Switching means learning a new interface while disturbing an entire digital environment.
    — Mark Vena, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Also, the ship uses dynamic positioning in many cases versus anchoring and disturbing the ocean.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Roman’s catalog of galaxies will help scientists ascertain how quickly the universe is expanding due to these puzzling, unseen forces.
    — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Doeding also plans to host events like speed puzzling and pre-release card game experiences.
    — Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of puzzling
Verb
  • OpenAI’s use of a new technique that obscures AI agents’ chain of thought is alarming the research community.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The development proved alarming enough that OpenAI vowed last week to slow the release of its upcoming Astra AI model.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarming

Browse Nearby Words

distracted
distracting
distraction
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All