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
Barring outright tumult in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers and the Bulls are set to finish the season in a footrace for the final spot of the play-in tournament.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
There has also been some internal tumult in recent years.
—Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The decision marked the second time the state’s highest court has been drawn into a dispute over control of the Legislature in recent days — one indication of the tumult that has played out in Minnesota’s Capitol as the parties vie for control.
—Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Dosunmu spent most of his night chasing Curry around the perimeter, weaving his way through a tumult of screens in his attempt to slow Curry down.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
There has also been some internal tumult in recent years.
—Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
The decision marked the second time the state’s highest court has been drawn into a dispute over control of the Legislature in recent days — one indication of the tumult that has played out in Minnesota’s Capitol as the parties vie for control.
—Ernesto Londoño, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Dosunmu spent most of his night chasing Curry around the perimeter, weaving his way through a tumult of screens in his attempt to slow Curry down.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
Noun
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In the security footage, which amassed over 1.2 million views, one cat ran up the stairs frightened after hearing a commotion coming in the closet under the stairs.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
27 Jan. 2025
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Individual pregame warmups wrap up and a certain member of the Charlotte Hornets exits the court heading toward the tunnel, causing a commotion among throngs of onlookers hoping for a keepsake signature or snapshot.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The annual Conservative Political Action Conference is mere days away, with this year’s event starting a few weeks after President Donald Trump’s inauguration and ensuing massive upheaval of the U.S. government.—
Asher Notheis,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
17 Feb. 2025
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Both countries are also locked in political upheavals that stand to slow any responses.—
BYJason Ma,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And the acoustic details to amplify the roar of the crowd.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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Rudolph’s free-form use of onscreen effects and graphics extracts in visual form the manic contents of this inner verbal roar.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the day, police officers had to also address other disturbances, such as fights among the crowd, people climbing vehicles and medical emergencies.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
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Fever or illness, or being dehydrated, can trigger sleep disturbances.—
Arielle Tschinkel,
Parents,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Political tensions rise over resource allocation, with social unrest more frequent.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Pro-Palestinian sentiments still run strong among the peoples of the region, and history has proven how civil unrest can quickly lead to instability even in nominally stable nations.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Image As for other noise, sports-watching venues across Canada were raucous.—
Vjosa Isai,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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Critical Thinking In a world awash with data, the ability to discern signals from noise is invaluable.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The changes upended precedent and rattled a media company that has already been shaken by years of turmoil and leadership turnover.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
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Downsizing, rehiring The confusion echoed the broader turmoil surrounding Trump's return to power.—
Dan Levine,
USA TODAY,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Believe us, Ashlee Simpson’s lip-sync disaster caused quite a stir at the time.—
Shannon Carlin,
TIME,
15 Feb. 2025
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The second report, released in December by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, caused a stir in the research and temperance communities.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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