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
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Recent Examples of disturbances
Several businesses at the shopping center closed early because of the disturbances, police said.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
As the company seeks to double the annual number of launches from Vandenburg Space Force Base -- from around 50 to 100 — the California Coastal Commission has raised concerns about the effects on wildlife, and residents have noted disturbances from sonic booms.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Even the current first-line oral treatment, fexinidazole, must be taken for 10 days and comes with severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting and heart-rhythm disturbances.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Even after the initial dust settles, wind and other disturbances, including efforts to find survivors or clear the rubble, can send those materials back into the air, putting more people at risk.
—Armin Sorooshian, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
The teams respond to 911 calls that do not need a police response — most commonly for welfare checks, trespassing, suicidal people, disturbances and substance use, the study found.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
But the Mideast war is causing major disturbances in the force of global fertilizer production.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
After religious conservatives objected to the film’s poster – which depicted an apparently pregnant Virgin Mary nailed to a cross – riot police were called out to head off any potential disturbances at the premiere.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
In their simulations, the second arm automatically adjusts its movement to counter yaw, pitch, or roll disturbances caused by the repair arm.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Mar. 2026
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
As the company seeks to double the annual number of launches from Vandenburg Space Force Base -- from around 50 to 100 — the California Coastal Commission has raised concerns about the effects on wildlife, and residents have noted disturbances from sonic booms.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Even the current first-line oral treatment, fexinidazole, must be taken for 10 days and comes with severe side effects such as nausea, vomiting and heart-rhythm disturbances.
—Fran Kritz, NPR, 16 Mar. 2026
Even after the initial dust settles, wind and other disturbances, including efforts to find survivors or clear the rubble, can send those materials back into the air, putting more people at risk.
—Armin Sorooshian, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
The teams respond to 911 calls that do not need a police response — most commonly for welfare checks, trespassing, suicidal people, disturbances and substance use, the study found.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
But the Mideast war is causing major disturbances in the force of global fertilizer production.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
After religious conservatives objected to the film’s poster – which depicted an apparently pregnant Virgin Mary nailed to a cross – riot police were called out to head off any potential disturbances at the premiere.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
In their simulations, the second arm automatically adjusts its movement to counter yaw, pitch, or roll disturbances caused by the repair arm.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbances
Noun
-
Over the past year, men’s ski jumping has been marred by Norway’s cheating scandal and more recent genital manipulation rumors, which has become one of the early commotions of the Milano-Cortina Games.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
More than 600 flights flying out of and into the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport were canceled Sunday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
But more importantly, disruptions to global supply chains.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The everyday realities of life under the occupation, including the hassles and harassments of bureaucratic delays and security checkpoints, can suddenly become matters of life and death.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
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
-
Cosmofonia explores the inaudible sounds and voices, including infrasonic vibrations, seismic noises, codes between different species, and acoustic traces of ecological collapse and survival.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
-
And while humans can often discern animal distress calls or differentiate dog barks, many animal noises may seem inconsequential to the untrained human ear.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The most powerful storms tend to come in the later part of the season.—
David Goodhue
March 16,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The disruptions follow a chaotic Monday for air travel, triggered by powerful storms that dumped snow by the foot in the Midwest and swept through the eastern half of the country, leading to thousands of cancellations at major hubs, including in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.—
Emilie Megnien,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbances. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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