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
Relevance
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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distracting
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
In class, Danny continues to be disorderly, challenging Maria’s authority, throwing stuff when angry, completely distracting and even frightening the other students.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Leaders shrug off emotional labour as soft or distracting.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
In fact, the energy is disquieting and distracting to you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Your child will have 16 GB of storage, which can hold thousands of books, and there are no distracting apps or social media.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The Amiron 200 has two microphones for clear voice pickup and call quality, consistently filtering out distracting ambient noises using ENC.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Along the way, Jesse will have to avoid guards by distracting them.
—George Yang, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
This can be distracting in smooth soups or sauces, but barely noticeable in more rustic dishes.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 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
This combination lends itself to transitions from focus to out of focus and background blur (bokeh) that's smooth and free of distracting elements.
—PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
In class, Danny continues to be disorderly, challenging Maria’s authority, throwing stuff when angry, completely distracting and even frightening the other students.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Leaders shrug off emotional labour as soft or distracting.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
In fact, the energy is disquieting and distracting to you.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Your child will have 16 GB of storage, which can hold thousands of books, and there are no distracting apps or social media.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The Amiron 200 has two microphones for clear voice pickup and call quality, consistently filtering out distracting ambient noises using ENC.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Along the way, Jesse will have to avoid guards by distracting them.
—George Yang, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
This can be distracting in smooth soups or sauces, but barely noticeable in more rustic dishes.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
Verb
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But the rail authority has argued that, in the long-term, a train system would save money by diverting travelers away from roads and airports.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Twenty-six percent of HR time is consumed by leave management activities, diverting critical resources from strategic initiatives.—
Anant Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So, at least for now, Chamorro is not bothering with the official Pop Mart drops.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
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While there is still hope that Clark can return this season from the groin injury that has been bothering her, there is no guarantee of that becoming a reality.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Tuesday will go down as one of Boston’s most confounding losses of the season, a 4-3 defeat in 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles in which the club went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Two players take on the roles of a brother and sister who are searching for their missing buddies on an island inhabited by some rather disturbing monsters.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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In 2020, 13-year-old Lauryn Licari and her middle-school boyfriend, Owen McKenny, started getting constant graphic and disturbing messages from an unknown number out of the blue.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For nearly five decades, NASA's twin Voyager probes have plumbed the cosmos in search of answers to some of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries about our solar system and its place in the wider universe.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
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The justice character dimension has been perplexing to people.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The tackling was alarming enough that the Broncos were practicing on Monday with live tackles, something that’s not seen too often once the season starts.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Sep. 2025
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The news was saddening for Jewell — but also alarming for the defense.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Cleveland Browns selected quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft, opening up a rather puzzling quarterback battle.—
Matt Wadleigh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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Even more puzzling is the lack of consideration for how the economy has changed in the post-COVID-19 era.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Patients often wait until the doctor is standing up to leave before blurting out their real concern, which is typically a sensitive or time-consuming problem, such as wanting to start birth control, having painful periods, or worrying about pregnancy or STDs.—
Dr. Jill Grimes,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Losing or leaving a job is already stressful enough without worrying about when your last paycheck will show up.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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