1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
there was a welter of pushing and shoving as people rushed to grab the best seats for the outdoor concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jumble
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a welter of junk in the closet, most of which needed to be thrown out
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the claim that a troop withdrawal would plunge the country into a welter of anarchy and endless civil war
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 welter
Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
By analyzing the positions of ten Southeast Asian countries on a welter of issues relating to China and the United States, one thing becomes evident: over the past 30 years, many of these countries have gradually but discernibly shifted away from the United States and toward China.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Sharpened in purpose by his criminal prosecutions and near death at the hands of a would-be assassin, Trump 47 would not be lost in a welter of self-defeating distractions the way Trump 45 had been.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Frank Taylor, the longtime San Jose redevelopment director who died this month at 87, lived and reigned through a welter of contradictions.
—Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for welter
Verb
While Kim guided the Theresa through a welter of charterboats trolling the shoreline for blues and stripers, the brothers sat on the flying bridge, joking and trading stories and scanning the flat empty sea for the black dorsal fin of basking swordfish.
—Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025
By analyzing the positions of ten Southeast Asian countries on a welter of issues relating to China and the United States, one thing becomes evident: over the past 30 years, many of these countries have gradually but discernibly shifted away from the United States and toward China.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Sharpened in purpose by his criminal prosecutions and near death at the hands of a would-be assassin, Trump 47 would not be lost in a welter of self-defeating distractions the way Trump 45 had been.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 25 Apr. 2025
Frank Taylor, the longtime San Jose redevelopment director who died this month at 87, lived and reigned through a welter of contradictions.
—Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for welter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for welter
Noun
-
Oprah Winfrey, who popped up earlier in the week at Ralph Lauren's fashion show, caused quite the commotion with her appearance at Christian Siriano's runway show Friday.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Fortunately, the commotion was enough to startle the bear.—
Katie Jackson,
Outside,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
-
Baker also leads the orchestra, which sounds grand — although the sound in the arts center’s Pugh Theater often left musicians, lead singers and chorus all at the same level, with actors speaking over all of it at the same time to create a sonic jumble.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Turner made some key adjustments at the plate for this season to focus on creating havoc on the basepaths rather than hitting just for power.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Offensive line woes help Falcons cause havoc There were other issues leading to the problems that McCarthy faced, including injuries to backup left tackle Justin Skule and center Ryan Kelly.—
Steve Silverman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Furious, Apatow took a trip to Hawai‘i to wallow in the tropics, and by some cosmic turn of fate ran into Shandling near the hotel where Apatow was staying.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
-
This is not a wallowing cruiser that isolates the driver in a leather cocoon, floating along, not entirely sure where the front end is.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical disturbance in the central Atlantic for potential development this week.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The medley of red and yellow tomatoes which lend the just-right balance of sweetness and acidity, plus the fresh basil, make for a vibrant main dish on the table.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Bettencourt performed with Osbourne at the show, and his band Extreme honored him with a medley of his hits at a concert in Zürich last month.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All have TVs, none have the usual game day chaos.—
Jenn Rice,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The sages imagined the world itself as a structure left open to the north, a reminder that there are always cracks through which danger, chaos, and suffering can enter.—
Barry Gelman,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Declining enrollment means the district may need to shuffle schools, students, or teachers to ensure each school is well attended, and the student-teacher ratios are well-balanced.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Welter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/welter. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share