1
as in bothers
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
all that talk of war disturbed us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in removes
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 disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in annoys
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 weighs
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 disturbs
Removing nodules from the ocean floor disturbs the silty seabed that's home to many organisms, like worms and small crustaceans, the scientists found.
—
Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Rather, the goal is to get a statistical sense of which possible futures are likely, which ones are rare, and how our fossil fuel habit disturbs that distribution.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
What really disturbs professionals is the FDA’s injection of inconsistency into its reviews of drug applications.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
By cross-pollinating different groups of thinkers, Seth disturbs the pattern-completion machinery of each mind, clearing the ground for alternative insights to land.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Though the time change allows for more daylight in the spring and summer evenings, many have argued the change disturbs the body's circadian rhythms and has significant health drawbacks.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
For instance, the downward airflow from the drone propellers disturbs the dust, increasing contamination risks, and the team had to develop additional safety measures to mitigate them.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Rather, the goal is to get a statistical sense of which possible futures are likely, which ones are rare, and how our fossil fuel habit disturbs that distribution.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
What really disturbs professionals is the FDA’s injection of inconsistency into its reviews of drug applications.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
By cross-pollinating different groups of thinkers, Seth disturbs the pattern-completion machinery of each mind, clearing the ground for alternative insights to land.
—Rachel Barr, Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
Though the time change allows for more daylight in the spring and summer evenings, many have argued the change disturbs the body's circadian rhythms and has significant health drawbacks.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
For instance, the downward airflow from the drone propellers disturbs the dust, increasing contamination risks, and the team had to develop additional safety measures to mitigate them.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
His approach is to look at what bothers that person the most.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The political rhetoric aimed at ridiculing Canada bothers Johnson.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Their design removes the top tube entirely, leaving a wide open gap between the seat and the handlebar (aka no fancy dismount maneuvers required, like swinging your leg over a high top tube).—
Erica Zazo,
Outside,
27 Mar. 2026
-
That removes years of planning uncertainty.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, Wisconsin gas prices are currently about 60 cents higher than the same time last year as the war with Iran disrupts the global oil supply.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
What to Skip Alcohol feels relaxing but disrupts deep sleep and melatonin production.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Edelmira Firman stands 4-foot-11 and weighs around 140 pounds, deputies said.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Murray is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 230 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray shirt, gray sweatpants and black and blue shoes.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That is when Harbaugh will be able to crystallize for players like Cam Skattebo that football is the priority, and any outside nonsense that distracts from the goal of winning games is not going to be tolerated anymore.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Reading chairs can become hotspots for clutter, which distracts from rest.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jude relocates this tale of troubled conscience to present-day Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and subjects it to a corrosively cynical twist.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, the event featuring numerous NFL players and coaches relocates to BMO Stadium, which will be the home site when flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
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An actress in 1962 Cuban, as its missiles crisis rages, confuses her role in a film and real life.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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