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 Global markets have been volatile this year, with a fresh bout of turbulence hitting equity and bond markets this week. — Chloe Taylor,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026 An artist may associate periods of intense output with emotional turbulence. — Rachel Docekal, STAT, 21 Aug. 2026 Yet, amid the turbulence, the southern nation of Zambia has charted a determined, if halting, course toward potential growth. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 The Worst Seat On The Plane For Turbulence In most cases, Klatt says turbulence is fairly minor and mostly an inconvenience. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turbulence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulence

Noun

On his mind are various ideas for addressing social upheaval.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Kyiv, meanwhile, aims to sow economic discontent among Russians with strikes against oil refineries and e-commerce warehouses, but experts argued domestic upheaval is unlikely to change Moscow’s calculus.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of upheaval

Noun

The Canadian singer caused a commotion with her ensemble, showing off a head-to-toe Alaïa ensemble from the upcoming Archetypes spring 2027 collection.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Aug. 2026
There was no illness or injury, Krauss said, but the dog seemed ready to step away from the crowds and commotion.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of commotion

Noun

The 100-meter sprint in Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval brought together the world’s fastest runners, hurtling along at breakneck speed to shrieks of excitement from a captivated crowd.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
But as the excitement for launch built, and the days until Roman's launch dwindled, excitement over the possibility of a solar transit spread among the photojournalists at KSC.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of excitement

Noun

The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
On Thursday a tropical disturbance managed to overcome headwinds to become a tropical storm.

— Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Noun

Bernadette explains the racial nuances the Guardians might not know as newcomers to Earth, echoing the landmark 1971 Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic series, which attempts to bring the space cops down to Earth by exposing them to racial strife.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026
Prosecutors believe he was killed because of ongoing strife with his former wife, Shanna Gardner, over the parenting of their twins.

— Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

The shadow default rate measures the percentage of cases where the terms of their loans are changed after the money has been borrowed, usually because the borrowing company has run into trouble.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Point Bennett hosts massive seal and sea lion colonies that can number well into the tens of thousands—well worth the trouble.

— Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of trouble

Noun

The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.

— Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of confusion

Noun

Despite all of this potential economic turmoil on the Canadian side, Carney still concluded that at the end of the day, the cost of acceding to Washington’s extravagant demands was higher than the cost of job losses and strain on a key industry.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Despite the recent turmoil, shares are up around 14% in 2026.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of turbulence

noun

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