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
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 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
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
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
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
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
-
The order does not legalize marijuana for recreational or medical use under federal law, but removes it from the classification of drugs like heroin, MDMA and LSD.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a tool that eliminates the need to bend or kneel to pull up weeds, and effectively removes the entire sprout according to shoppers, preventing the same plant from popping back up all summer.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Crude oil also disrupts animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and ability to navigate, process input, and properly orient themselves in their environment.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
17 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
-
Necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, is a devastating complication of prematurity that weighs heavily on our minds.—
Alexander Crider,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
He was born today at 11am and weighs 8 lbs.—
Emy LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Morgan concluded the practice, completing another one of Chesney’s specialties where the entire team distracts the return man from fielding a punt.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
That relocates the blame in the mother.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
