as in confounding
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracting
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
In this case, Swift opted to let the strands of her bow hang well past her ponytail, giving the hair accessory a veil-like quality without distracting from the rest of her look.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 May 2026
Some of its defocused highlights show a bright center and edges with a slim dark ring in between, which can make backgrounds distracting in some scenes.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
However, many within Starmer’s party say a leadership contest would be distracting for the party and disastrous for the country.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 12 May 2026
For work settings, discreet and silent fidgets are designed to keep your hands busy without distracting coworkers.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
Color accuracy was poor, color saturation was nonexistent, and the backlight bleed from the hinge was distracting.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Sorting foods according to the number of ingredients and the technology used to make the foods — but not the actual nutritional value — could just end up confusing people and distracting from the larger issue.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.
—Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 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
None of the distracting political overcast stopped Hernandez from winning all three events the athlete competed in the first-round meet.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
In this case, Swift opted to let the strands of her bow hang well past her ponytail, giving the hair accessory a veil-like quality without distracting from the rest of her look.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 14 May 2026
Some of its defocused highlights show a bright center and edges with a slim dark ring in between, which can make backgrounds distracting in some scenes.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
However, many within Starmer’s party say a leadership contest would be distracting for the party and disastrous for the country.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 12 May 2026
For work settings, discreet and silent fidgets are designed to keep your hands busy without distracting coworkers.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
Color accuracy was poor, color saturation was nonexistent, and the backlight bleed from the hinge was distracting.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Sorting foods according to the number of ingredients and the technology used to make the foods — but not the actual nutritional value — could just end up confusing people and distracting from the larger issue.
—Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Apr. 2026
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.
—Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
Adjective
-
Grief is one of the most confounding aspects of the human experience.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
In 2021, one year into D’Amaro’s tenure and following COVID shutdowns, Disney did away with FastPass and introduced a confounding and very costly series of pay-to-skip passes, which require timing advanced booking of limited slots in these formerly free-to-enter shorter lines.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Williamson admitted to diverting $225,000 from a dormant Beccera campaign account to Sean McCluskie, Becerra’s longtime chief of staff.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Chipmakers are diverting capacity toward high-bandwidth memory for AI servers, which leaves thinner supply for conventional DRAM used in PCs, phones and other electronics.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
-
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The right-hander has struggled to maintain his velocity this season, a perplexing trend largely stemming from an inconsistency in his mechanics.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
At the same time, the moon in Pisces makes social dynamics and exchanges more hazy and perplexing, especially with Mercury approaching a semi-square with Neptune in Aries, which will become exact tomorrow morning.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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
Verb
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There's also an argument to be made that this is disturbing the wildlife at the national park, which is a valid concern.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Disrupting the possibility of cheerful solitude is both a stylistic and social shift, disturbing the film’s non-narrative serenity while depicting how dismantling the safety net displaces basic functions onto those least able to bear them.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
For devoted Auteuil fans, his lack of an international profile is genuinely puzzling.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
League sources have whispered since late October that Mosley’s job could be in jeopardy, and although Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman declined to make an in-season coaching change despite several puzzling lopsided defeats, the Magic announced Mosley’s dismissal Monday.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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