1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the tumult of the evacuation from the coast, we accidentally left on the television, which was of course tuned to the local newscast breathlessly reporting on the hurricane we were fleeing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the political tumult that swept the American colonies in the late 1700s
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in roar
a violent shouting
went to the window to see what the great tumult was and discovered a crowd of demonstrators marching down the street
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 tumult
Since last summer, the agency’s tumult was widely known and a source of frustration for lawmakers and Abbott’s office – and something Opiela was aware of days before Bingaman was dismissed.
—
Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
And despite the wins, some Republicans see the tumult as more of a liability for 2026.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
The attempt to remove Lawrie from her position at the school district comes at a time of tumult within KCKPS’ special education program.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
America has mostly been spared from the tumult.
—Ben Casselman Qilai Shen Lisa Lerer William J. Burns, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Dug Begley, Houston Chronicle, 4 May 2026
And despite the wins, some Republicans see the tumult as more of a liability for 2026.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
The attempt to remove Lawrie from her position at the school district comes at a time of tumult within KCKPS’ special education program.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
America has mostly been spared from the tumult.
—Ben Casselman Qilai Shen Lisa Lerer William J. Burns, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
-
The incident wasn’t the first time Nixon caused a commotion on the House floor over redistricting.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
The employees will either be able to reach out to the culprit to quiet things down, or could transfer you to another room if the commotion doesn’t quit.—
Karla Walsh,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
With several high-profile players likely to leave and Beye not expected to remain in his post, another summer of upheaval awaits at Marseille.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
As a result, global markets are experiencing upheaval and crude oil prices have remained above $100 a barrel.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Clark and her teammates walked down the stairs and through the crowd to the court for player introductions with the loudest roar, naturally, reserved for Clark.—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
Resident colobus monkeys’ distinctly guttural roars serve as singular natural alarms at daybreak, when an inspired array of adventures await.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Increasing heat and humidity could spark showers and storms Friday morning, but a better chance for more widespread storms arrives Friday night into Saturday as a stronger disturbance moves in, according to the weather service.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
-
Avoid spring pruning to let blooms fully develop and prevent unnecessary disturbance to the tree.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Cárdenas returned to Nicaragua in the late 1970s to live in semi-retirement, but political unrest in the country, in the form of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, forced him to flee and eventually return to the United States.—
Ed Guzman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Russia is now roiled by rumors of organized unrest with months to go before parliamentary elections, while Putin himself faces allegations of extreme isolation and a weakening grip on power.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Thousands of fans were outside the Bell Centre watching the game, and the 20,962 fans filled the arena with ear-splitting noise before puck drop.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Write it down, step back from noise, and let the truth settle.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The most recent turmoil stems from the second of two rulings from the state’s highest court that focused on a referendum campaign, called People Not Politicians, that last year turned in more than 305,000 signatures to force a November statewide vote on the map.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
The cuts deepen the turmoil at Air India, following a devastating crash last year and the departure of its CEO last month.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Yet masculinism also functions as a perpetual-motion machine of grievance, an inarticulate howl of anguish at the status quo—whatever that currently is.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
The book is treated as confession, a howl of pain, its ‘anguish’ and ‘unflinching honesty’ much praised.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
