1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
went to investigate the disturbance outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disruption
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed
caused a disturbance in the carefully ordered proceedings
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
the assistant apologized for the disturbance and got straight to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 disturbance
At the same time, sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal disorders are characteristic among autistic kids, and if left untreated these (issues) can interfere with social activities.
—
Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
The shooting erupted just before 3 a.m., when a Miami-Dade Transit bus driver was involved in a disturbance with two male passengers aboard the bus, Officer Diana Delgado of the Miami Gardens Police Department said at a news conference Sunday.
—Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
According to The Guardian, officers responded to a call about a disturbance involving a white man at a Circle-K gas station but confronted McAlpin instead after Derek Stevens, a white man, pointed them in his direction.
—Essence, 28 Mar. 2025
Minor disturbances, such as noise, movement or a slightly full bladder, can now easily interrupt sleep.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbance
Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
The shooting erupted just before 3 a.m., when a Miami-Dade Transit bus driver was involved in a disturbance with two male passengers aboard the bus, Officer Diana Delgado of the Miami Gardens Police Department said at a news conference Sunday.
—Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
According to The Guardian, officers responded to a call about a disturbance involving a white man at a Circle-K gas station but confronted McAlpin instead after Derek Stevens, a white man, pointed them in his direction.
—Essence, 28 Mar. 2025
Minor disturbances, such as noise, movement or a slightly full bladder, can now easily interrupt sleep.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbance
Noun
-
Spears' teen pregnancy immediately caused commotion among her family and her team.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
-
On a match day, the keenest supporters would gravitate to the main entrance halfway along, just after the dressing room windows where Ian Wright occasionally peered out and caused a commotion.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The administration has increasingly signaled that the American people should expect some economic disruptions in the near term.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Public health epidemics, cybersecurity attacks, economic fluctuations, market disruptions, and other unforeseen challenges can greatly impact a business.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The news, which surfaced late last week when letters to these vendors from Chief Procurement Officer Sharla Roberts were shared with the media, caused an immediate stir and prompted some aldermen to publicly advise contractors not to comply with the request.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Fans of this show based on a treatment by the legendary Bruce Lee caused enough of a stir that it was eventually renewed for Max exclusively, airing a third season on the streaming service.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Stock futures plunged and after-hours trading descended into turmoil as Trump pledged steep tariffs on some of the U.S.'s top trading partners.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The new duties, which follow Trump’s previous tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, are set to raise costs and cause turmoil for countless fashion businesses.—
Marc Bain and Joan Kennedy,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
So is Aaron Judge, who couldn’t believe all the fuss that was being made over the Yankees’ new wood.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2025
-
But Newsom appears to have fully retreated on trans-inclusive athletics, conceding to right-wing propagandists Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage without a fuss in the first two episodes of Newsom’s podcast earlier this month.—
Samantha Riedel,
Them,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Germany, a country that traditionally favors social spending over national defense and is almost immovable out of its comfort zone, now resembles a country in a hurry.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2025
-
But even those bloodlines became intermingled in a hurry.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
After all, that’s arguably the primary purpose of a social network: not the news, not the blather, not the noise.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Faster hard drives will tend to make more noise than slower ones.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disturbance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbance. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share