disturbances

noun

plural of disturbance
1
as in commotions
a state of noisy, confused activity went to investigate the disturbance outside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disruptions
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed caused a disturbance in the carefully ordered proceedings

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3
as in harassments
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another the assistant apologized for the disturbance and got straight to the point

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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 disturbances The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 In response to the disturbances, The Rotunda increased security at the space. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The National Hurricane Center is also tracking two disturbances in the Atlantic with one — Dolly — likely to develop into a tropical depression or storm in the next two to seven days. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Earth-like tectonic earthquakes are not expected to be common on some other planets and moons, but atmospheric disturbances may still be present. — Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026 More storms in the Pacific The hurricane center also is watching two other disturbances that could become storms in the Eastern Pacific. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 The Kp index measures disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field on a scale from zero to nine, and NOAA’s latest advisory calls for activity below minor-storm levels. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 Several fights and disturbances were reported during the 2022 state fair, which prompted officials to remind attendees about the fair's youth entry policy. — Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Changes in climate, rising sea levels and the aftermath of natural disturbances have brought some change as well. — Candace Barone, Florida Times-Union, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbances
  1. commotions
  2. disruptions
  3. harassments
  4. noises
  5. turmoils
  6. stirs
Noun
  • Over the past year, men’s ski jumping has been marred by Norway’s cheating scandal and more recent genital manipulation rumors, which has become one of the early commotions of the Milano-Cortina Games.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of commotions
Noun
  • Petroleum processing industry turned a profit over the seven months as supply disruptions in the Middle East pushed up prices for lower-stream chemical products.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The move came Monday amid growing economic pressure and public frustration being felt in Russia after months of escalating Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and e-commerce hubs that have caused nationwide disruptions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of disruptions
Noun
  • The everyday realities of life under the occupation, including the hassles and harassments of bureaucratic delays and security checkpoints, can suddenly become matters of life and death.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Definition of harassments
Noun
  • McGee joked with the crowd that their most similar qualities were distress around loud noises and mild anxiety.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Anna Watson’s lighting keeps much of the house just dim enough to make the imagination dangerous, while Tony winner Gareth Fry’s sound design surrounds the audience with ominous noises whose sources aren’t always immediately clear.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of noises
Noun
  • About two couples, connected and dependent on one another, raising their kids alongside each other, facing the same turmoils, the same existential questions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Mayer and Strong offer a broad pop-history lesson, in which the same tensions and turmoils churn on and on in their terrible cycle throughout the decades; the only thing that’s changed are the aesthetics.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of turmoils
Noun
  • Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of stirs

Browse Nearby Words

disturbance
disturbances
disturbed
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Cite this Entry

“Disturbances.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbances. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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