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
-
And if someone bothers Anaia, Racine is there to fight for her.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.—
Mac Barnett,
Longreads,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Din removes his helmet to say goodbye to Grogu, and the child goes off with Luke to train as a Jedi.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
This single-sensor approach removes the need for the complex calibration typically required when combining separate lidar and camera systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Wildlife relies on predictable patterns of darkness and light for migration, breeding and hunting, and artificial light disrupts those cycles.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
-
Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 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
-
The movement is composed of 370 parts, including 84 components integrated into the filigreed tourbillon, which weighs approximately a quarter of a gram.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
For Mike, who's turning 77 years old next month, the memory of rebuilding after the Tubbs Fire still weighs heavily.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Their romance distracts Berlin, who is usually focused and more emotionally detached.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
Trump is renowned for his transanctionalism and willingness to deal with anybody if the dollar signs are there, but, when immigrants are involved, his interest in exclusion distracts him from the bottom line.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Susac continued hitting well during his five-game rehab stint, fittingly, with Triple-A Sacramento, who share the stadium with the A’s on an interim basis as the MLB franchise relocates from Oakland to Las Vegas.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
Another 5% can be applied if a series relocates to Illinois, which adds up to a possible 45% tax incentive for qualifying costs.—
Kathy A. McDonald,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Nobody ever confuses two white NASCAR drivers!—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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