1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
there was a welter of pushing and shoving as people rushed to grab the best seats for the outdoor concert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jumble
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a welter of junk in the closet, most of which needed to be thrown out
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the claim that a troop withdrawal would plunge the country into a welter of anarchy and endless civil war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of welter
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
By analyzing the positions of ten Southeast Asian countries on a welter of issues relating to China and the United States, one thing becomes evident: over the past 30 years, many of these countries have gradually but discernibly shifted away from the United States and toward China.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Sharpened in purpose by his criminal prosecutions and near death at the hands of a would-be assassin, Trump 47 would not be lost in a welter of self-defeating distractions the way Trump 45 had been.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Frank Taylor, the longtime San Jose redevelopment director who died this month at 87, lived and reigned through a welter of contradictions.
—Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for welter
Verb
While Kim guided the Theresa through a welter of charterboats trolling the shoreline for blues and stripers, the brothers sat on the flying bridge, joking and trading stories and scanning the flat empty sea for the black dorsal fin of basking swordfish.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
By analyzing the positions of ten Southeast Asian countries on a welter of issues relating to China and the United States, one thing becomes evident: over the past 30 years, many of these countries have gradually but discernibly shifted away from the United States and toward China.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Sharpened in purpose by his criminal prosecutions and near death at the hands of a would-be assassin, Trump 47 would not be lost in a welter of self-defeating distractions the way Trump 45 had been.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Frank Taylor, the longtime San Jose redevelopment director who died this month at 87, lived and reigned through a welter of contradictions.
—Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for welter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for welter
Noun
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The commotion has come as a surprise to Cooke, who didn’t foresee her role as such a divisive one.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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The child’s father had arrived home shortly before the incident occurred and heard a commotion in the bedroom, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Baker also leads the orchestra, which sounds grand — although the sound in the arts center’s Pugh Theater often left musicians, lead singers and chorus all at the same level, with actors speaking over all of it at the same time to create a sonic jumble.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While not all of the federal government’s tariff revenue is at risk, losing a huge chunk would still create havoc on the deficit and bond market.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
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Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of wallowing in her misery, the movie accompanies her, like best friend Christina (Denise Gough), who checks in regularly with unconditional support.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Its purpose is not to wallow in historical sorrow, but to illuminate how a people’s spirit was forged in the fire of injustice.—
Brad Braxton,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jung and Pauli’s hyper-intellectualization of everyday phenomena leaves out a fundamental component of the synchronicity—a deep emotional disturbance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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The disturbance has no chance of forming over the next 48 hours and a low 30% chance of forming over the next seven days, the hurricane center said.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bettencourt performed with Osbourne at the show, and his band Extreme honored him with a medley of his hits at a concert in Zürich last month.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Busta Rhymes also took the stage for a medley of his songs before he was honored with the Rock the Bells Visionary Award.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By absorbing the frenzied reverence, the Saja Boys can break through the Honmoon, a fictional barrier that protects humans from the demon world, which would unleash chaos.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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These picks are designed to make getting around smoother, way more efficient, and to help frequent fliers avoid travel chaos (think tangled necklaces, dead phone batteries, and neck strains).—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Young Hamnet’s shuffling off this mortal coil once laid the groundwork for a masterpiece.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shelters that shuffle people in and out overnight don’t solve anything.—
Stephan Rabimov,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Welter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/welter. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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