turmoil

noun

tur·​moil ˈtər-ˌmȯi(-ə)l How to pronounce turmoil (audio)
Synonyms of turmoil
: a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion

Synonyms of turmoil

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of turmoil in a Sentence

The country has been in turmoil for the past 10 years. a period of political turmoil His life has been in a constant turmoil.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Instead, the complaint alleges, many of those initiatives never happened, and investors received false updates and were kept in the dark about Wondermind’s mismanagement and descent into financial turmoil. — Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 The league’s clarification comes amid turmoil in college sports, with dozens of football players filing lawsuits seeking a fifth season of eligibility, some of whom have won state court orders preventing the NCAA from barring their return. — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Every event brings the character closer to their goal or takes them further away, energizing them or creating turmoil. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for turmoil

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of turmoil was in 1526

Rhymes for turmoil

See All Rhymes for turmoil

Browse Nearby Words

turmit
turmoil
turmoiler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turmoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turmoil. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

turmoil

noun
tur·​moil ˈtər-ˌmȯil How to pronounce turmoil (audio)
: a very confused or disturbed state or condition
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All