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
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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
as in confounding
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracting
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Surprisingly, the injury helped him in this regard by distracting him from overanalyzing his game.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
What Wednesday evening’s triumph also does is quieten the distracting outside noise that such a newsworthy club invariably attracts.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Drivers may also not want to wear the devices, which may be uncomfortable or distracting, the sources said.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Latino advocates and community members worry complaints about the court mandates and the price tag will become an excuse, distracting from the root issue — the need to end racial profiling by the sheriff’s office.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
In Season 4, Eddie played a key role in distracting Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) Demobats as the rest of the gang launched an attack on the Upside Down stronghold of Creel House.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Because many designs in the 1970s focused on open-concept designs, noise in the previous building could be distracting for classes, and teachers had made makeshift walls using bookshelves in an attempt to keep noise out, Bookhout said.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
Choose a clean, non-distracting background that doesn’t compete with your mug for attention.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Karbler notes that Bigelow resisted that depiction for fear of distracting from the emotional moment.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Surprisingly, the injury helped him in this regard by distracting him from overanalyzing his game.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s image features photographs of people with some truly nightmarish distortions on its wall, while the placement of its sink is confusing and distracting.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
What Wednesday evening’s triumph also does is quieten the distracting outside noise that such a newsworthy club invariably attracts.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Drivers may also not want to wear the devices, which may be uncomfortable or distracting, the sources said.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Latino advocates and community members worry complaints about the court mandates and the price tag will become an excuse, distracting from the root issue — the need to end racial profiling by the sheriff’s office.
—Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2025
In Season 4, Eddie played a key role in distracting Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) Demobats as the rest of the gang launched an attack on the Upside Down stronghold of Creel House.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Because many designs in the 1970s focused on open-concept designs, noise in the previous building could be distracting for classes, and teachers had made makeshift walls using bookshelves in an attempt to keep noise out, Bookhout said.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
Verb
-
The plan included launching a mobile booking station to quickly issue citations, stricter curfew and firearm enforcement, and increasing police presence by diverting patrol officers to high-traffic entertainment areas.—
Angelika Ytuarte,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In total, Alex was found to have embezzled more than $6 million from at least two dozen clients, inflating fees or expenses and diverting settlement money into his own accounts, per PBS.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Saft, not bothering to remove his sneakers, leaped onto a chair to place an ornate gold mirror over the mantelpiece.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Talk through what’s bothering you to gain a compassionate perspective.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
-
The offense’s struggles are the most confounding.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 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
-
Conventional cleanup techniques often worsen the problem by disturbing soil structures and consuming large amounts of energy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
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There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The sheriff’s office was called, and initially the deaths were deemed suspicious, though the situation seemed more perplexing than criminal.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In a whirlwind year for the organization, his slump was one of the more perplexing developments.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Browning has thrown eight interceptions in four starts, which was alarming enough for the Bengals to make a move.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The second flare is even more puzzling.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Staffers spent the weekend trading calls and texts, trying to piece together who had been axed, who had been spared, and, most puzzling, why.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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