1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
in the tumult of the evacuation from the coast, we accidentally left on the television, which was of course tuned to the local newscast breathlessly reporting on the hurricane we were fleeing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the political tumult that swept the American colonies in the late 1700s
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in roar
a violent shouting
went to the window to see what the great tumult was and discovered a crowd of demonstrators marching down the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tumult
His trade war with Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union sent stocks tumbling and has caused general economic and geopolitical tumult.
—
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Technology The Big Story Tech stocks return to earth as AI explosion fizzles
The world’s biggest technology companies saw their stock prices tumble over the past month as wider tumult in the market hits the tech sector hard after years of steep gains driven by artificial intelligence (AI).
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
Even with most economic indicators holding strong, worries are beginning to creep up that the tumult in Washington could start weighing on growth, posing a potential threat to stocks.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
Interim president Dwayne Tucker told a state panel that those cuts would help put the historically Black college on solid footing after many years of financial tumult.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Technology The Big Story Tech stocks return to earth as AI explosion fizzles
The world’s biggest technology companies saw their stock prices tumble over the past month as wider tumult in the market hits the tech sector hard after years of steep gains driven by artificial intelligence (AI).
—Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
Even with most economic indicators holding strong, worries are beginning to creep up that the tumult in Washington could start weighing on growth, posing a potential threat to stocks.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
Interim president Dwayne Tucker told a state panel that those cuts would help put the historically Black college on solid footing after many years of financial tumult.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
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
-
Impact Leaders Create Stability In an age of climate risk, geopolitical tension, and technological upheaval, long-term stability matters more than short-term profits.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Despite the upheaval of the last two months, Nomar is clear on the purpose of college in his life.—
Anna North,
Vox,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The roars crescendoed in the bottom of the first as Tatis led off with a single, Tatis and Machado each stole a base and Merrill, after falling behind 0-2 against Sale, one-handed a two-run single into center field.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The nervous dread subsided, for once, and the roars returned as the Sox triumphed.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Anderson left the crime scene following the disturbance.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Some types of plants, such as those with long tap roots, are more sensitive to root disturbance and transplant shock.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In 1968, amid urban unrest eerily similar to the tensions today, dedicated scholars built institutes such as the Urban Institute and Johns Hopkins’ Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research to bring rigorous evidence to bear on pressing social problems.—
Andrew V. Papachristos,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Political unrest urged by anti-Trump liberals, coupled with attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships due to founder Elon Musk’s close association with the president, appears to be pushing some people to buy guns for self-defense.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Apr. 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
Noun
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share