DISTURBANCE Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

disturbance

noun

di-ˈstər-bən(t)s

Definition of disturbance

as in commotion

a state of noisy, confused activity went to investigate the disturbance outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disruption

an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed caused a disturbance in the carefully ordered proceedings

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in harassment

the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another the assistant apologized for the disturbance and got straight to the point

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disturbance These systems are deeply interconnected—a disturbance in one often affects many others. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 First, a weak tropical disturbance (yellow x and yellow hatched area on the map below) near Hawaii could affect the state in the next few days. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Retracing the days leading up to her disappearance, Joseph experiences past and present blurring together, while escalating disturbances in their home point to something far more sinister than grief. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 This enables automatic system adjustments during major events, disturbances or shifting demand. — Miroslav Katsarov, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disturbance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbance

Noun

All of that pregame commotion set the stage for what came next.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
The Canadian singer caused a commotion with her ensemble, showing off a head-to-toe Alaïa ensemble from the upcoming Archetypes spring 2027 collection.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of commotion

Noun

Despite fiercer global competition, geopolitical instability, and technological disruption over the past year, the companies on the list have proven resilient.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
Warranty obligations, supply chain disruption, contractual risks, reputational costs and other company-specific exposures may come with limited capacity, restrictive terms or pricing that makes conventional transfer unattractive.

— Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of disruption

Noun

Campbell is now charged with simple assault and harassment, which are misdemeanor and summary offenses.

— Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
The Times examined the county’s restraining order process, compiling data from hundreds of thousands of cases, and interviewing dozens of domestic abuse and harassment victims, attorneys and victim service providers.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of harassment

Noun

After Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon caused a stir by resigning with a grave warning about the technology's potential risks, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei responded with an essay saying that the industry might need to slow the pace of its work.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Yet the notice has also raised a stir in the mathematics community for another reason.

— Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of stir

Noun

And even though the book is rife with grief, loss and inner turmoil, there are plenty of laughs in store too, especially for anyone who’s felt like a fish out of water themselves.

— Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026
Amid the turmoil, Ortiz lost custody of her daughter in 2024.

— Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Noun

For the day, the Steelers had four sacks, four quarterback hurries, three additional tackles for loss and four passes batted down by defensive linemen, and four of Atlanta’s offensive linemen were called for holding at least once.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Armondo Blount had Miami’s only sack, and PFF credited UM with only seven quarterback hurries (three by Blount, and one apiece by Omar Thornton, Chase Smith, Lightfoot and Justin Scott).

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of hurry

Noun

For all the fuss the Edmonton Oilers have generated this offseason, the club will enter the 2026-27 season with a largely unchanged roster.

— Janson Duench, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
The Amalfi Coast has become something of a cliché, but this reminds you what all the fuss was about in the first place.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of fuss

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disturb

disturbance

disturbances

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Style

“Disturbance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbance. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of disturbance

noun

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