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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tumult
Adding to the sense of tumult ahead is the fact that traditional centers of political influence − congressional leaders, the Democratic National Committee, the Republican National Committee − don't have much to say about where the nation's politics are heading.
—
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis public schools were closed Thursday and Friday because of the tumult, but the district directed teachers to report to their school building to receive more details from administrators about the online instruction option.
—Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
Some uplift feels out of place when each day brings more disorienting tumult to our nation.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
As detailed by The Athletic, Amorim’s demise came amid tensions with various members of United staff, and after a 14-month spell in charge pockmarked by tumult.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
Minneapolis public schools were closed Thursday and Friday because of the tumult, but the district directed teachers to report to their school building to receive more details from administrators about the online instruction option.
—Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
Some uplift feels out of place when each day brings more disorienting tumult to our nation.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2026
As detailed by The Athletic, Amorim’s demise came amid tensions with various members of United staff, and after a 14-month spell in charge pockmarked by tumult.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
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The Italian island of Palmarola is so close to Rome that it can be reached in a day trip, but far enough away that the commotion of the capital seems like another planet.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Churchgoers began whispering to one another about what to do, and then several children burst into tears during the commotion, Rebecca said.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Worse, perhaps, leadership in moments of upheaval requires a certain theatricality and improvisational creativity that establishment Republican politicians tend to lack.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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The currency market would also experience upheaval as the euro would soar, representing a major headwind on the eurozone’s exports and economic growth, Brown added.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An onboard synthesizer manipulates a small set of core sounds to mimic everything from the roar of a jet plane to the flushing of a toilet through a little speaker in the Brick.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The people want to see Varang’s fierce roars!—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Drinking has been found to increase the risk of many cancers, metabolic dysfunction, gut microbiome disturbances and mitochondrial toxins, Hyman said.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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However, these components proved too vulnerable to the extreme conditions, including intense shock waves and aerodynamic disturbances at low altitudes.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Effective leadership in 2026 still requires foresight, intelligence, delegation, and the ability to separate signal from noise.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Every one of these new bits of hardware introduced a new set of uncoordinated chatter of alarms that simply produced noise.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After Vance's visit, Walz said the federal government was to blame for the turmoil.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
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The ensuing political turmoil and power vacuum in the country tarnished its international image and rattled its diplomacy and financial markets.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Spread over him and shoved him forward, and he was woken by a screech and a howl.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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The Wolf Moon name dates back to Indigenous and early Anglo-Saxon traditions, inspired by the winter wolves whose howls echoed across cold January nights.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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