TURBULENCE Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

turbulence

noun

Definition of turbulence

as in upheaval

a state of violence, confusion, and disorder There was much turbulence in their town after a string of tragedies.

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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 turbulence What fans didn’t realize is that while Cook’s departure made global headlines, behind the scenes, Thomas and Doucette were facing their own turbulence. — Leena Tailor, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026 How This Crisis Feels Different Workforce organizations have weathered plenty of turbulence before, from the Great Recession of the early 2000s to the Covid-19 pandemic. — Philip Weinberg, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Donalds' campaign in heavily GOP Florida comes as Republicans there have faced some turbulence and voter concerns about affordability and artificial intelligence data centers have become central issues. — ABC News, 1 Oct. 2026 Now, their collection is being marketed as one of the last great tranches of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art — a period of art that has become a safety net during economic turbulence. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turbulence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulence

Noun

The urgency of their push comes as major European companies undergo huge job losses — Volkswagen plans to cut 100,000 workers — which experts have said could drive political upheaval.

— Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The turnaround has revived some fans’ hopes, but years of coaching and front-office upheaval and the departure of popular players have eroded trust.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of upheaval

Noun

Christian and Laura Stone had stopped by to see what was causing the commotion after noticing the emergency light while taking their kids to school.

— Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Deep Ellum business owner Barry McCary noticed the commotion and started recording video.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of commotion

Noun

Davide Sgariboldi, general manager at Euroitalia, said that causes excitement.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Erewhon, which launched as a pop-up about a week later, also elicited excitement and some griping, with critics saying the space would be better served by a less expensive option.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of excitement

Noun

While all of Saturday will be dry, skies will trend partly to mostly cloudy as the cloud shield with Isaias and an upper-level disturbance spread into the region.

— Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Officers arrived after a disturbance between two neighbors escalated to one man shooting another, police said.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Noun

Nothing seems to be too much trouble for the staff who clearly have an affection for the property and its owners, with many having worked there for decades.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
The financial troubles are especially concerning because the Los Angeles Unified School District has failed to meet past budget reduction targets, the report concluded, and the stakes have become higher, with solutions more painful to carry out.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of trouble

Noun

According to MedlinePlus, symptoms can include a sudden severe headache, sudden dizziness or trouble walking, sudden confusion, and sudden numbness or weakness in the face.

— Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Other online missives expressed optimism, but many revealed some combination of grief, confusion, and fear.

— Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of confusion

Noun

But deeper into the hills of the Ivy League institution, a homemade banner hanging from student co-op housing Saturday signals roiling turmoil.

— Taylor Galgano, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
The song, written with Dan Wilson, isn’t just a story of the turmoil that befell the band post-2003.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of turmoil

Browse Nearby Words

turboprops

turbulence

turbulent

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“Turbulence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulence. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of turbulence

noun

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