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 worries
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disturbs
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
Jennifer Walker, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
In New York, there’s no worry; no one bothers us.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Washing and disinfecting decorative pumpkins removes fungal spores and will slow that process down.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The AquaTru Classic is a highly effective countertop reverse osmosis system with a four-stage filtration process that removes up to 99 percent of more than 80 contaminants, including lead, fluoride and PFAS.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Incomplete or inconsistent data disrupts workflows and triggers irrelevant follow-ups.—
Al Sefati,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
And there’s the impact of climate change itself, which disrupts seasonal temperature change routines.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Marketed as a low-cost cruise missile, Crossbow weighs about 750 kilograms (around 1,650 pounds), carries a 300-kilogram (660-pound) modular payload, and can fly more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) at high subsonic speeds.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Using a combination of titanium and carbon fiber, the TiSeat weighs around 6 kilograms, achieving a 30% weight reduction compared to traditional seating.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
So the idea is that, when Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office closes, Enervate relocates Oscar to its Toledo newspaper.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In the first episode, the family relocates to the Hamptons for the summer as Alec prepares for the criminal trial in New Mexico.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And so an urban tunnel not only blocks some satellites, but confuses the listeners as to which are direct or reflected signals.—
Steve Tengler,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In visceral and unrelenting prose, the novel troubles the easy distinctions between victim and perpetrator.—
Katie Kitamura
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Notwithstanding, firing Erika McEntarfer troubles me greatly.—
Phillip Molnar,
Mercury News,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share