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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tumult
Once granted, the pardon power proved useful to American presidents from the very start, particularly in moments of political tumult.
—
Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Europe’s leaders huddled Thursday to recalibrate the future of their relationship with the US after a week of diplomatic tumult.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The statement on the Fed chair is the latest in a series of dramatic twists and turns in the saga following a year of unprecedented tumult for the central bank.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
All this tumult has added to the unruly behavior exhibited by the three delinquent Flynn daughters, ages twelve, fifteen, and seventeen.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Europe’s leaders huddled Thursday to recalibrate the future of their relationship with the US after a week of diplomatic tumult.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The statement on the Fed chair is the latest in a series of dramatic twists and turns in the saga following a year of unprecedented tumult for the central bank.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026
All this tumult has added to the unruly behavior exhibited by the three delinquent Flynn daughters, ages twelve, fifteen, and seventeen.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
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Subscribe to Stocks @ Night today and see what the commotion will be about tomorrow today.—
,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
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His parents, who help run the local taco chain, stood in customized Villa’s jerseys and marveled at the commotion Monday.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And then there’s D’Amaro, who will need to chart a course for the most powerful of all traditional entertainment companies amid that tech upheaval.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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Wilson isn’t alone in shutting out the noise of the industry’s upheaval.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Seattle’s home crowd let out a menacing roar.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The dunk led to the loudest roar by the crowd inside Allen Fieldhouse all game.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The incident that led to the murder charge occurred in May 2015, when Proctor and another LAPD officer, Jonathan Kawahara, responded to calls about Glenn and his dog causing a disturbance in Venice Beach.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Both the Emmy-winning actress and her husband have been arrested in the past on domestic-disturbance charges.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But as unrest over immigration enforcement ramps up, Arizona activists face both opportunities and challenges.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Last November, a court in Dhaka sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for her role in the unrest, in which the UN human rights office estimates around 1,400 people were killed.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Two hours later, Ukraine’s urgent plight – the defining security crisis of Europe’s post-WW2 era - was passionately portrayed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, evoking the issue that should have been center stage breaking through the MAGA noise.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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That one sentence explains a lot of the current noise—and where the next upside will come from.—
Martin Moszkowicz,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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According to the official readouts, Xi and Putin appeared to be projecting a strong united front, with Moscow calling bilateral relations an important stabilizing factor at a time of growing global turmoil.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
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Gold prices climbed after major central banks added to their reserves and investors rushed to buy the traditional safe-haven asset amid global political turmoil.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
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At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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