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
Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.
—
Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.
—Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.
—Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
Feeney’s book features multiple narrators, but relativity is not an idea the series bothers to develop.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Now, wages have grown, but inflation bothers people.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Other types of filters include activated carbon, which removes odors, chemicals, and harmful gases, and UV-C light filters, which can kill bacteria and viruses.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
-
In an overly dramatic transformation sequence, Robert’s boss removes the necklace and is bathed in light — only to wind up a few inches shorter and brunette.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The condition disrupts the production of CoQ10, a molecule essential for generating energy inside cells, leading to rapid neurological decline and loss of mobility.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Jan. 2026
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In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.—
Ciara Lucas,
SELF,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
One of its two young sibling protagonists, Amber (Bianca Belle), channels her feelings about the recent death of her mother into drawings of creatures born out of her troubled imagination, some of whom enact violence against the classmate who annoys her.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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There's just one thing about Claire Danes that annoys Matthew Rhys.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The open-top Speedster weighs under 900 kilograms, or just below 2,000 pounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Greenland may further test the limits Graham’s comments come as the administration weighs not only its next steps in Venezuela, but also Greenland.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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So, excited headlines about a blossoming romance between them certainly creates a narrative that distracts from all the negative news each has grappled with recently.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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The constantly shifting allegiances are meant to form a twisty yarn in the aggregate, though the effect is largely just confusing — especially when Helen gets a subplot investigating her own past that distracts from her role as the chilly, withholding boss.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are several cases where teams’ records move from one city to the next when a franchise relocates.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2026
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Her new drama stars Léa Seydoux as a renowned pianist who relocates with her family to the countryside and then uncovers a life-shattering truth that forces her to confront the complexities of love and trust.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Red Rising is a book that seems to confuses some politically right-leaning readers, something which frustrates but doesn’t surprise Abughazaleh.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
19 Dec. 2025
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Mars’ clash with Neptune clouds your judgment and confuses your intuition.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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