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
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
For instance, the downward airflow from the drone propellers disturbs the dust, increasing contamination risks, and the team had to develop additional safety measures to mitigate them.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
For instance, the downward airflow from the drone propellers disturbs the dust, increasing contamination risks, and the team had to develop additional safety measures to mitigate them.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbs
Verb
-
People don’t think this bothers me.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
At one point, Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and the Wayfarer Studios defendants, asked Lively if negative publicity bothers her.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Historic specialist Wacoal introduced the Flawless line, with new technologies like ultrasound bonding, which removes the need for glue or seams, and its thinnest shapewear fabrics, offered in a range of forms.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Product description The original personal data removal service, Abine DeleteMe removes your info from data broker sites using both automation and human agents.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, disrupts decision-making and alters the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.—
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
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Depriving children and young adults of social contact, structure, and meaningful engagement disrupts emotional regulation, impulse control, and decision-making, causing harm that can follow them long after release.—
Gladys Carrión,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One of its two young sibling protagonists, Amber (Bianca Belle), channels her feelings about the recent death of her mother into drawings of creatures born out of her troubled imagination, some of whom enact violence against the classmate who annoys her.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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There's just one thing about Claire Danes that annoys Matthew Rhys.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The open-top Speedster weighs under 900 kilograms, or just below 2,000 pounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Greenland may further test the limits Graham’s comments come as the administration weighs not only its next steps in Venezuela, but also Greenland.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Paying too much attention to AI benchmarks distracts from the tech's real value — when it is integrated into existing gaming or entertainment ecosystems such as Tencent's, Ivan Su, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said in a note.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
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Start by clearing what distracts you.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There are several cases where teams’ records move from one city to the next when a franchise relocates.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2026
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Her new drama stars Léa Seydoux as a renowned pianist who relocates with her family to the countryside and then uncovers a life-shattering truth that forces her to confront the complexities of love and trust.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbs. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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