TURMOIL Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

turmoil

noun

ˈtər-ˌmȯi(-ə)l

Definition of turmoil

as in unrest

a disturbed or uneasy state was in turmoil most of the night, trying to convince himself he had made the right decision

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in commotion

a state of noisy, confused activity avoided the turmoil of the mall during the holiday season

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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 turmoil 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 Despite the recent turmoil, shares are up around 14% in 2026. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turmoil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for turmoil

Noun

That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, also came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the war in Vietnam bitterly divided Americans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans.

— Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of unrest

Noun

The Canadian singer caused a commotion with her ensemble, showing off a head-to-toe Alaïa ensemble from the upcoming Archetypes spring 2027 collection.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Aug. 2026
There was no illness or injury, Krauss said, but the dog seemed ready to step away from the crowds and commotion.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of commotion

Noun

The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.

— Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival.

— Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of confusion

Noun

Estradiol transdermal patches, which deliver the estrogen hormone directly into the bloodstream, are used to ease menopause symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes and sleep disturbances.

— Sriparna Roy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
As if a million white collar workers suddenly cried out in terror at once, a great disturbance in the AI force forced down every major AI chatbot service — a brief moment of reprieve from our AI empire overlords.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of disturbance

Noun

The 100-meter sprint in Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval brought together the world’s fastest runners, hurtling along at breakneck speed to shrieks of excitement from a captivated crowd.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
But as the excitement for launch built, and the days until Roman's launch dwindled, excitement over the possibility of a solar transit spread among the photojournalists at KSC.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of excitement

Noun

Among them was a Washington think tank that caused a stir with a paper that proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 to shore up the retirement trust fund.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Just over 100 years later, Genesis executives posted up at the same historic place aiming to once again cause a stir.

— Marco Della Cava, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stir

Noun

Thom’s uncomfortable intensity carries over to Hamburger Hamlet, where the tension between the couple finally reaches a breaking point.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
The tension has continued for months and grown into a major foreign and defense policy challenge for countries in the European Union.

— Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of tension

Noun

In hurry-and-scurry mode, Katalyst built a robotic spacecraft called LINK, which launched on July 3 to meet up with Swift and haul it to a higher orbit.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026
No matter your hurry, overloading your washing machine will produce a headache of a different sort (and might even cost you more money).

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of hurry

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turkeys

turmoil

turmoils

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“Turmoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turmoil. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of turmoil

noun

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