1
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
all that talk of war disturbed us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to remove
to change the place or position of
the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move
Synonyms & Similar Words
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4
as in to worry
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
sorry to disturb you while you're working
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to weigh
to cause discomfort to or trouble for
please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disturb
Some victims reported feeling violated and disturbed by the trend, with many saying their reports to X went unanswered and images remained live on the platform.
—
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Savoie can make things happen as a passer and is adept at disturbing opposition exits out of their zone.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, some homeowners as far as Plainville and Southington say they, too, are disturbed by the sound and have spent the last year and a half pushing their local governments to act.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
There’s the creek, circular ripples appearing where small fish disturb the water.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturb
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Savoie can make things happen as a passer and is adept at disturbing opposition exits out of their zone.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, some homeowners as far as Plainville and Southington say they, too, are disturbed by the sound and have spent the last year and a half pushing their local governments to act.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
There’s the creek, circular ripples appearing where small fish disturb the water.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturb
Verb
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Take a seat on an icy throne—the cold never bothered you anyway.—
Ginger Crichton,
Midwest Living,
9 Jan. 2026
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Don’t bother wasting your money—using it more than once a day won’t yield ‘better’ or faster results.—
Ali Pantony,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Everglades restoration involves removing as many of these dams as possible without risking flood control, while adding more reservoirs for water storage, all to revive a river of grass that flows once more.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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Staff immediately removed him from his cell and provided medical aid.—
Mars King,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, employers estimate that 39% of core skills — such as problem-solving and communication — will be disrupted by 2030, with 40% of firms planning to reduce their workforce specifically due to AI automation.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Both claim that new jobs and addressing the threat of being eclipsed by other nations offsets the risk of data centers damaging the environment and disrupting people’s lives.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Don’t worry too much about organizing everything perfectly here.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
22 Jan. 2026
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There’s an absent father and a clueless, neglectful mother but the five Gilbert children — Lydia, Hugo, Annabel, Jeremy and Rosalind — are essentially raising themselves in an English country house of secret passages and worrying infestations.—
Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They were asked to sort through Walmart's firearm sales policies, determine whether they were followed and weigh differing accounts inside the store of how widely Mace's troubles were known.—
DAN MORSE THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
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Individual metrics were weighed based on their impact on education and quality of life, then scored on a scale from 0-100.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The goal was to ensure the makeup didn’t distract the audience but rather felt invisible.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2026
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Even the most emotionally invested of us can get distracted.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scott’s deputy, John Modlin, who had previously been the head of Border Patrol in Tucson, Arizona, was given seven days to decide whether to resign, retire, or relocate his family to Boston for an unrelated homeland security job.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Jan. 2026
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The National Park Service relocated the historic bridge upstream with new foundations designed to withstand flash floods and landslides, which restored visitor access to one of Zion's most iconic trail systems.—
Brittany Anas,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturb. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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