DISORDER Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

disorder 1 of 2

noun

Definition of disorder

as in chaos

a state in which everything is out of order the general disorder of the room after the guests finally left the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disease

an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning afflicted all her life with a nervous disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disorder

2 of 2

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈȯr-dər

as in to disrupt

to undo the proper order or arrangement of be careful not to disorder the carefully arranged contents of the dresser

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 disorder

Noun

Last month, Bexar County and San Antonio approved a pilot designed to move people with mental health or substance use disorders out of the county jail and into treatment. — Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Research on offenders with mental disorders suggests that recidivism depends more on criminal history than on diagnosis. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

For example, tai chi practitioners are encouraged to stay at 70% effort, a practice that reduces injuries, facilitates mindfulness, and helps maintain nourishing, not disordered, relationships to movement. — Paula Chesley, STAT, 3 June 2026 A lot of the research on body image and media psychology has found that exposure time on social media very much correlates with body image issues and disordered eating tendencies. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 5 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for disorder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disorder

Noun

At an intersection in Hyde Park that, days earlier, had been the scene of chaos — a young girl on the ground, a car with a teenage boy on the windshield, a mother screaming — Jonathan Hale led his band of rebels.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
The banquet hall was total chaos, packed with people who shoved their way toward the front, trying to bribe the hostess for a table with red envelopes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of chaos

Noun

Depending on the species, that could mean breeding animals in captivity and releasing them, restoring habitat, managing disease, or controlling invasive species.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Beeswax, honey, and pollen each possess their own particular antimicrobial and chemical properties that, taken together, repel disease and encourage helpful fungi.

— Amanda Erickson, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of disease

Verb

The integration could help American troops operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) when adversaries attempt to disrupt battlefield communications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
At the same time, a traffic signal at Hazel Avenue and Folsom Boulevard was flashing in all directions, disrupting train signals at three additional intersections, Selenis said.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of disrupt

Noun

Lignel began conversations with the gallery in 2008 as a recession wrought havoc upon the New York art market and the global economy.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Lucas Calderon, owner of Holy Crab, a Coral Gables seafood business that specializes in stone crab home delivery, recalls the havoc Milton wrought on the industry.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of havoc

Noun

To be sure, practicing a zest for life can be harder for those who have physical illness and pain and those who engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
The Heat also didn’t have Pelle Larsson (illness) and Dru Smith (right calf strain) on Friday.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of illness

Noun

The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way.

— Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Searching for Wendy in the depths of the Sephora store, Stan watches his surroundings shift from slightly off, to off, to get-me-the-hell-out-of-here off.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of hell

Noun

Now, with Garrett still dealing with a knee ailment in his own right, the Rams have been banged up with key players not just being down for a week or two, but prolonged recoveries.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The lack of clarity on the root of his ailments complicated the balancing act on both sides.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of ailment

Browse Nearby Words

disobliging

disorder

disordered

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disorder. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of disorder

noun

verb

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