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
-
On Friday, Gilliam was on an ECMO machine, a heart-lung bypass system that removes carbon dioxide from the blood and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body, while allowing the heart and lungs to rest, according to the Mayo Clinic.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The new framework removes these dependencies by learning from non-visual sensor data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Airlines around the world have been grappling with volatile oil markets as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supplies.—
Rio Yamat,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Spilling kills ocean wildlife, fouls beaches and disrupts coastal economies.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This bag weighs just a few ounces and rolls down to the size of a tennis ball, yet expands to nearly full size.—
Jamie Davis Smith,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Still, the uncertainty weighs heavily on her and others in the community.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Reading chairs can become hotspots for clutter, which distracts from rest.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jude relocates this tale of troubled conscience to present-day Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and subjects it to a corrosively cynical twist.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, the event featuring numerous NFL players and coaches relocates to BMO Stadium, which will be the home site when flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 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 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
