1
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the turbulent struggle for civil rights that shook up American society in the 1960s
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rough
marked by turmoil or disturbance especially of natural elements
the turbulent rapids of the river were certainly daunting to those of us who were new to river rafting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bleak
marked by wet and windy conditions
expect turbulent weather as the cold front brings rain and sleet
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4
as in tumultuous
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
these are turbulent, dangerous times in a region known for being a powder keg
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turbulent
Scandoval Throughout much of their time on Vanderpump Rules, Sandoval and Madix appeared to be one of the more stable and consistent couples amongst their group of turbulent friends.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
As per the study, planes themselves can act as airborne sensors and help identify turbulent zones in near real time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy heading into 2026.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Quantum technology firms are defying turbulent markets to go public this year, as the industry seeks to raise capital off recent scientific breakthroughs and push the experimental tech towards commercialization.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
As per the study, planes themselves can act as airborne sensors and help identify turbulent zones in near real time.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy heading into 2026.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Quantum technology firms are defying turbulent markets to go public this year, as the industry seeks to raise capital off recent scientific breakthroughs and push the experimental tech towards commercialization.
—Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulent
Adjective
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Jessica Gorman delivered emotional remarks Saturday at a vigil in Yorktown Heights, New York, honoring her daughter — a Loyola University Chicago freshman whose life was cut short in what authorities describe as a sudden, violent attack.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Heat has also now allowed more than 120 points in eight of the 10 games during this rough 2-8 stretch.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The Italian coast guard operated in the Libyan search and rescue area amid rough weather conditions, a spokesman said on Wednesday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the state education department questioned this week whether the picture is as bleak as Superintendent Andrae Townsel’s administration has described.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
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Amid the chaos under Yeltsin, a bleak frontier culture took hold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.—
Tim Parks,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Written and recorded in the tumultuous post–Keith Moon period of The Who, the album became a deeply personal LP for Townshend, and The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey would later express dissatisfaction that some of the tracks were not considered for the band.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Italy happens to be in similarly ferocious form, however, and has won seven of its last eight, albeit losing twice in as many encounters with qualifying group winner Norway last year.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Despite Iran’s remarkably ferocious response across the region – attacking neighbors like Oman who days earlier mediated between Tehran and Washington - weeks of intense airstrikes against its cities and military has not magically left it a hundred feet tall.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Activities showcase Cempedak’s wild landscapes and seascapes, offering complimentary forest birdwatching and night walk safaris, yoga sessions, and watersports equipment, including SUP, kayaking, snorkelling, and windsurfing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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New Jersey is 10 points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with nine games remaining.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The beetles take advantage of the fact that the construction workers who finished the house just a few months earlier miscalculated and left too much space between the doors and the ground, failing to consider insects or the rainy season.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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Fire trucks lined up outside a funeral home in Chicago’s southwest suburbs on a gray and rainy Tuesday morning for the funeral of Michael Altman, a Chicago firefighter who died while working to put out a Rogers Park fire earlier this month.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The data points to a genuine enhancement in the sporadic fireball background at the large-object end of the size distribution.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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The two sides have engaged in sporadic retaliatory aerial attacks in recent years, though the fighting between them had largely simmered down in recent months.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Turbulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulent. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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