as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the upcoming bar exam is causing us considerable distress the survivors were in extreme distress after having been stranded on the island for a week with no food
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disturbs
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
don't let all the bad news distress you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distresses
Noun
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That’s why civil servants in national security, disaster relief and federal science have long taken pains to avoid the political fray.—
Michael Chertoff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026 -
Because the somewhat complex antitrust case is being tried before a 12-person jury, each party took pains to lay out the process, and provide visual explainers, about how an artist works with promoters and others to book a tour, and who profits.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Dethatching disturbs the soil surface, which can trigger dormant weed seeds to sprout.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The work that disturbs the most is of a translucent man.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hadi’s exceptional attention gives cinematic identity to collective artisanal energy, to the life force of care and devotion that stands outside the agonies of politics, to the spirit that endures a regime and outlives it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That notion clearly bothers Schoen and the organization.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
-
One thing that bothers him, though, is the calls from GVA asking for cash to shore up financing on the underwater properties as loan rates skyrocketed and monthly debt servicing led to losses.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Dengler endured endless torture and other miseries — escaping from prison was just the beginning of his ordeal in the jungle — but Bale plays him as a determined optimist, an indomitable spirit that cannot be crushed.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But worries about a potentially slowing economy are pulling downward at the same time.—
Matt Ott,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
But what worries me a little bit more is that some of the professionals at embassies and consuls are not being told to come home.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Investigators said one of the men distracts the victim while another watches the victim input their PIN on the keypad.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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But wrapping this lesson with an expensive animatronic and a pre-recorded show with a Hollywood insider distracts from that message.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many of the marchers are of Mexican or Hispanic descent, so the treatment and mass deportation of undocumented immigrants greatly concerns them.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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The case concerns the antitrust implications of selling live-music tickets for certain types of venues and does not directly involve the sale of tickets to live sports.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Distresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distresses. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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