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 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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
The timeliness of filing cases bothers him.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
None of that, nor the fact Beckham missed all of 2025, bothers Harbaugh.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While the norm is that a toner should be an astringent that removes grime and dirt while balancing the pH, Korean toners work to give the skin instant hydration as the first step after cleansing with a face wash.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
Our other favorite pet hair removers This device removes pet hair from all kinds of fabrics without snagging them.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupts field operations, hindering global conservation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Dyslexia is a learning difference that disrupts how the brain processes written language.—
Ann Bullock,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Phillips is around 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs around 130 pounds.—
Kendrick Calfee
May 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
-
According to investigators, Anderson stands at about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 220 pounds.—
Alexa Ashwell,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Or maybe a still-working phonograph of Edison’s invention distracts you, until a wall of portraits of 1920s electrical manufacturing workers pulls your gaze in a new direction.—
Michael Kilian,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Ultimately, this distracts from the struggles experienced by all those marginalized on the basis of gender.—
Jenna Norosky,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Enter Hathaway as Rebecca, the new, sophisticated head psychologist who relocates from the city and quickly sparks a connection with the young woman that may or may not be flirtatious.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Under the bill, state incentives would be clawed back if a team relocates its stadium, headquarters or training facility outside of Missouri.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The odor masks the scent of animals' preferred vegetables and confuses insect pests, including aphids, carrot flies, cabbage worms and loopers, spider mites, thrips, and Japanese beetles.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
3 May 2026
-
The low-performing chefs are Rhoda, whose lamb confuses the kids; Sherry, whose grits were oddly flavored; and Oscar, whose puff pastry soaked up all the deep-fryer oil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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