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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of turbulent
Predictions of turbulent behavior that are based on solving the Navier-Stokes equation, which describes the flow of fluids, are considered the gold standard in this field.
—
Steve Nadis, Wired News, 1 June 2025
As governor, Scott oversaw turbulent storm seasons, including 2017, when Hurricane Irma forced the largest mass evacuation in the nation’s history.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Benefits When Strategically Deployed Despite the risks, interim CEOs can be beneficial when used strategically:
Crisis Management: Experienced interim leaders can navigate companies through turbulent times, providing stability and direction.
—Solange Charas, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
These steps prevent, rather than heal, costly losses that weaken a company’s cash position, especially in turbulent times.
—Dean Kaplan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Steve Nadis, Wired News, 1 June 2025
As governor, Scott oversaw turbulent storm seasons, including 2017, when Hurricane Irma forced the largest mass evacuation in the nation’s history.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Benefits When Strategically Deployed Despite the risks, interim CEOs can be beneficial when used strategically:
Crisis Management: Experienced interim leaders can navigate companies through turbulent times, providing stability and direction.
—Solange Charas, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
These steps prevent, rather than heal, costly losses that weaken a company’s cash position, especially in turbulent times.
—Dean Kaplan, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulent
Adjective
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Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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The protests had been largely peaceful throughout Friday and Saturday, with isolated instances of violent activity.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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If your skin is extremely dry and rough, however, the La Roche-Posay Body Moisturizer is rich in prebiotic thermal water, shea butter, and niacinamide is another one of Tookes’ recommendations.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
2 June 2025
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Cloudy skies, rough surf and limited battery life can all reduce their effectiveness.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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The somewhat bleak outlook was laid bare Tuesday night after the USMNT was thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland during a friendly in Nashville.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
11 June 2025
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Instead of learning from this bleak recent history, Americans are now painfully absorbing this lesson by repeating it.—
Jonathan Haskel,
Foreign Affairs,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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The confrontation near a Home Depot at 6400 Alondra Blvd. had escalated over the course of the day into a fiery and tumultuous clash, even as federal officials warned of further immigration raids coming to Los Angeles.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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Unfortunately, the period following the historic announcement has been tumultuous.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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America, then, was visible to Fuller as the ferocious winds destroyed the vessel.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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The Thunder are deep, play ferocious defense and have a star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who embraces the big moment.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Kohlrabi reappears in a soup over apple and shellfish ceviche, while wild asparagus is bathed in rosemary, thyme, and za’atar, then finished with a green jus and osetra caviar.—
Rooksana Hossenally,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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One reason some in the DNC went Hogg wild in the first place was the youthful progressive activist’s involvement in a $20 million initiative to back younger primary challengers against Democratic incumbents.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Pollination season was windy, cold and rainy — but supply chain problems began to improve and inventory came down.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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The best chance for storms in and around the city will be between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but rainy weather could continue after midnight, forecasters said.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Meta’s big bet on Wang fits into CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to bolster his company’s AI efforts amid fierce competition from OpenAI and Google-parent Alphabet.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
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Sanders’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), is a fierce Trump critic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turbulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulent. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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