1
as in commotions
a state of noisy, confused activity
went to investigate the disturbance outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disruptions
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed
caused a disturbance in the carefully ordered proceedings
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in harassments
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
the assistant apologized for the disturbance and got straight to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 disturbances
The remaining three calls were related to minor disturbances in 2013, 2014 and 2017.
—
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The country’s strong standing in safety could stem from several factors, including societal structure, strict laws, and cultural focus on harmony, which keep street crime and public disturbances very low.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
Elevated resting heart rate, persistent fatigue, mood changes, brain fog, declining performance, more frequent illness, loss of appetite, recurring injuries, severe soreness, and sleep disturbances can all signal that your body needs a break.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 20 Dec. 2025
The study found unregulated photography trips are a key culprit, causing disturbances and behavioral changes that can disrupt the frogs’ feeding and breeding success.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Even more surprising things happened when noise and environmental disturbances, known as decoherence, were introduced.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 13 Dec. 2025
Sleep disturbances also lead to greater inflammation, which is when the immune system’s natural responses become overactive.
—Jenalee Doom, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Israeli fans of the team were prohibited from attending the match due to safety concerns, but disturbances still broke out regardless, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
The country’s strong standing in safety could stem from several factors, including societal structure, strict laws, and cultural focus on harmony, which keep street crime and public disturbances very low.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
Elevated resting heart rate, persistent fatigue, mood changes, brain fog, declining performance, more frequent illness, loss of appetite, recurring injuries, severe soreness, and sleep disturbances can all signal that your body needs a break.
—Danielle Zickl, Health, 20 Dec. 2025
The study found unregulated photography trips are a key culprit, causing disturbances and behavioral changes that can disrupt the frogs’ feeding and breeding success.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Even more surprising things happened when noise and environmental disturbances, known as decoherence, were introduced.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 13 Dec. 2025
Sleep disturbances also lead to greater inflammation, which is when the immune system’s natural responses become overactive.
—Jenalee Doom, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Israeli fans of the team were prohibited from attending the match due to safety concerns, but disturbances still broke out regardless, with anti-Israel protesters in the vicinity.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbances
Noun
-
And now that crisis, combined with the shutdown, has led to Federal Aviation Administration limits on flights at the nation’s 40 largest airports, with hundreds of flight cancellations daily and disruptions across the country.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.—
John Seewer,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
-
In the waning minutes of the first quarter of Sunday’s Chiefs-Bills broadcast, CBS’ lead color analyst began making a series of noises that sounded like the Hamburglar going through a bad divorce.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
These noises typically indicate that the load needs to be redistributed, but can also be a sign of other problems.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that more than 2,400 potholes have been repaired across the city in the week following a series of powerful winter storms that doused the region with rain over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There’s roughly two and a half months left of the winter season, which means that there are plenty of chilly evenings, snow storms, and freeze warnings to look forward to.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbances. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share