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
Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s killing it in the portal and is probably a bit distracted by other things.
—Sports Columnist, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
This is an exceptional and decadent bourbon, with strong oak and subtle smoky notes that are never overpowering or distracting.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distract
Verb
As for Africa, some thinkers on the continent argue that distracted big powers will leave it alone; a pox on all their houses, in other words.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Indiana’s killing it in the portal and is probably a bit distracted by other things.
—Sports Columnist, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 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
One thing helping me has been the Brick, a physical device that blocks distracting apps on my phone with just a tap.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
This is an exceptional and decadent bourbon, with strong oak and subtle smoky notes that are never overpowering or distracting.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distract
Adjective
-
The Eagles were a confounding defending champion throughout the regular season.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
The movie is hilarious, fun, disturbing, perplexing, exuberant, exhausting.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
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The canon can already be described as a bewildering artistic menagerie, including a perplexing assessment of misandrism, body horror by Brian Yuzna, killer toys from the ’90s, and more.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
And the most puzzling aspect of the loss was Carolina’s offense, which sputtered throughout a foggy afternoon.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Dec. 2025
-
For more than a decade, cosmology has been stuck with a puzzling contradiction.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected claims that the officer acted in self-defense, saying after viewing the video that the federal account was inaccurate, as previously noted by The Center Square.—
Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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That demeaning statement has proven both accurate and inaccurate, depending on the president’s relationship with the vice president, their skill set, experience, and political ambition.—
Myra Adams,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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That the novel is imperfect, often bewildering, and sometimes a mess is not the point.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
1 Jan. 2026
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The rules and regulations around AI can feel as bewildering as some of the wild hallucinations that large language models spit out.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
15 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Duplicate collections, wrong dates, incorrect creditor names or accounts listed as unpaid when they were settled are all valid reasons to file a dispute.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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The problem of incorrect citations and false legal statements, which attorneys suspect were written by AI tools, appears to be growing, said Felix De La Torre, general counsel for PERB.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Ghost sued Wilson for defamation, leading to a countersuit accusing Ghost, Gregory Cameron, and Vince Holden of breach of contract, false imprisonment, fraudulent inducement, and infliction of emotional distress.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2026
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The bottom line Disputing collections debt is your legal right and often your best financial move when accounts are inaccurate, fraudulent or legally unenforceable.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distract. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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