How to Use disturb in a Sentence

disturb

verb
  • I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour.
  • She doesn't want to be disturbed while she's working.
  • Don't disturb the baby when he's sleeping.
  • The noise disturbed my concentration.
  • Use a fork to flip the steaks, rather than tongs, which can disturb the crust.
    — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 May 2021
  • Watching late at night and don’t want to disturb the rest of the house?
    — Maren Estrada, BGR, 8 Mar. 2021
  • But he was disturbed by the man’s reckless use of a firearm.
    — Thomas Lake, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024
  • The request was approved, but the mound was not to be disturbed.
    — Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Every night the lamb would cry, and be told to hush, for its bleats disturbed their sleep.
    — Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024
  • This is this scene in ‘The Square,’ when a man jumps on the table to disturb others around him.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Plans for dozens of 680-foot wind turbines will disturb the sky and landscape of the Red Rock Ridge.
    — Star Tribune, 13 June 2021
  • The idea seemed to disturb and excite him in equal measure.
    — New York Times, 17 Mar. 2022
  • Someone had to stand up to the tyranny — to disturb it a little, or a lot.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 12 June 2023
  • He was disturbed by the discovery, but not enough to stop.
    — Benoît Morenne, WIRED, 9 Mar. 2023
  • Seeing the body disturbs Mickey to her core, and sets her on a path to find Kacey.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
  • This incident isn’t the first time humans have disturbed part of the wall.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023
  • The school has since been razed, but the construction disturbed the soil beneath it.
    — Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
  • A couple of bats dart around overhead, disturbed by the truck.
    — Jack Armstrong, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2024
  • Trail users should not disturb trail flags, build cairns or get in the way of workers who may be present.
    — Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2022
  • To get more of the giant hornets to exit the hive, the team thwacked the tree with a wooden board to disturb the insects.
    — Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Oct. 2020
  • Adult psyllids, about the size of aphids, are dark in color and can jump when disturbed on plants.
    — Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 13 July 2024
  • Avoid spots where children and pets could disturb it or knock it over.
    — Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2020
  • Loop it around your tray table for a place to perch your feet that won't disturb the person in front of you.
    — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Dec. 2022
  • Everything is done in silence so as not to disturb the voice of the stars.
    — Jen Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2023
  • On the brink of the Great Depression, Rosalie Edge would start to disturb their peace.
    — Melissa Groo, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021
  • Just look how the folds now are starting to disturb themselves.
    — Timothy Donnelly, The New Republic, 17 Mar. 2022
  • Somehow the Butcher hadn’t been able to find them again, or disturb their lives.
    — Ayşegül Savaş, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2022
  • Best not to disturb them, though—they’re planning the biggest marathon on the planet.
    — Chris Taylor, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2022
  • Never touch or disturb the site and always leave no trace.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2022
  • Stay on marked trails, pack all your trash, and respect wildlife (do not feed or disturb them).
    — Emese MacZko, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disturb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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