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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.
—
Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Put some kind of barrier around the nest so no one accidentally disturbs them.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
The idea that there can be any kind of misalignment between them, though, disturbs her.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.
—Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
There are lots of things weightlessness disturbs, even in the short run.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The Leo moon disturbs unconscious patterns that are ready to be interrupted.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
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
Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Put some kind of barrier around the nest so no one accidentally disturbs them.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
The idea that there can be any kind of misalignment between them, though, disturbs her.
—Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 24 May 2026
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.
—Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
There are lots of things weightlessness disturbs, even in the short run.
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The Leo moon disturbs unconscious patterns that are ready to be interrupted.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
People can decide for themselves whether Wembanyama’s anthem conduct bothers them.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
But one Iowa departure bothers Ferentz the most, and that’s defensive tackle Noah Shannon.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
This removes a major trigger for addictive doomscrolling and the reinforcement of harmful content.—
Paul Monckton,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Specifically, people believe this practice removes a plant compound found called phytate that's found in almonds.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Elizalde’s model at Viva disrupts the way business has been done in the past.—
Karen Idelson,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
Papercut disrupts that, if only momentarily.—
Sheldon Pearce,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
One of the more common ways bear encounters escalate is when an off-leash dog runs toward a bear, annoys it, and then comes sprinting back to its owner with an angry predator in pursuit.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
According to Booster, the T1 stands about 3 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 66 pounds.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Each weighs about a third of a pound.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
-
In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns.—
Jordyn Tovey,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The series follows the Clyburns, a wealthy New York City family who relocates to Montana’s Madison River Valley following the deaths of family patriarch Preston (Russell) and his brother Paul (Fox), who were killed in a plane crash.—
Cat Cardenas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
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Under the law, state incentives would be clawed back if a team relocates its stadium, headquarters or training facility outside of Missouri.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
There is a version of leadership that confuses visibility with impact, equating big initiatives and dramatic turnarounds with strong leadership.—
Monica Cutia,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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The whole concept of toxic fandom confuses me because, outside of the anger and backwards thinking, because who cares about a movie franchise that much?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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