1
2
as in to disturb
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
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
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Recent Examples of distract
Tom Umberg, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
Cronin’s threshold for disgusting developments will challenge audiences who are easily shocked, but his skill at whipping up a crescendo of horrors helps distract from a plot with too little connective thread between the big showstoppers.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Not all Mauss’s material lends equally well to visualizations, and there are moments in the special when the animations are more distracting than additive.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distract
Verb
If there is nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear, and the Board should welcome the audit rather than attempt to distract from it.
—Tom Umberg, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
Cronin’s threshold for disgusting developments will challenge audiences who are easily shocked, but his skill at whipping up a crescendo of horrors helps distract from a plot with too little connective thread between the big showstoppers.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 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
Declutter the Exterior Clutter outside your home is just as distracting as clutter inside.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
Not all Mauss’s material lends equally well to visualizations, and there are moments in the special when the animations are more distracting than additive.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for distract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distract
Adjective
-
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
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But as the adorable pair get acclimated to life in the nest, they've been observed doing some perplexing – perhaps even seemingly concerning – behavior.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Of those lowlights, Chapman’s failed attempt to steal second base was especially perplexing given his reputation as an excellent baserunner.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone already knows about the Red Sox’s struggles, especially at the plate, but the Mariners and Tigers’ early slumps have been equally puzzling.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Inside, there was a puzzling, almost magical blue powder that glowed in the dark.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The rollout, however, was quickly met with user complaints of inaccurate age estimations and workarounds found by users hoping to trick the system.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Testing failure Another error highlighted in the report involved recording inaccurate test results in September 2024 for a liver that tested positive for a common infection that can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant patients.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He was found dead lying face up on his hotel bed with no signs of trauma, according to a Monday report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.—
Kenan Draughorne,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2022
Adjective
-
Right now, the process is bewildering, involving clicking through multiple pages and inputting data.—
Yehiel Kyle Israel,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Within these broad categories there was a bewildering array of specific armaments.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
County officials also said Freidenrich’s management of the treasurer’s office led to delays in issuing refunds to schools, filing tax liens and cashing property tax checks, which resulted in incorrect late fees and penalties for taxpayers.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Any assertion that city single-family homeowners are being double taxed would be incorrect.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The state agency that oversees Medicaid has been under scrutiny after the discovery of millions of dollars in potentially fraudulent payments.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The documents describe an elaborate hoax in which the defendants allegedly created fake companies and fraudulent email accounts and driver’s licenses to help fool lenders into loaning them huge sums of money.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distract. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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