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
Writer/director Maybury tells this turbulent story with the acerbic wit and fragmented formalism befitting of the titular artist and his work.
—
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
Thursday, busy prosecutors in the turbulent SDNY office tried to stick a judicial shiv in Combs’ motion to suppress.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
In her wild behavior, her pursuit of chaotic situations and turbulent relationships, there is exhilaration with a purpose.
—Anahid Nersessian, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
The tech-heavy benchmark teetered around correction territory on Tuesday — down 10% from a recent high — for most of the turbulent session.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025
Thursday, busy prosecutors in the turbulent SDNY office tried to stick a judicial shiv in Combs’ motion to suppress.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
In her wild behavior, her pursuit of chaotic situations and turbulent relationships, there is exhilaration with a purpose.
—Anahid Nersessian, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
The tech-heavy benchmark teetered around correction territory on Tuesday — down 10% from a recent high — for most of the turbulent session.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turbulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turbulent
Adjective
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The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was signed into law in 2021 and addresses violent crime in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson and Shelby counties, according to the Indiana General Assembly’s website.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
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The storm, which produced violent tornadoes, raging wildfires, and blinding dust storms, decimated homes, toppled vehicles, and left entire communities reeling from the devastation.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Hard water can also cause clothes to feel rough and scratchy against your skin.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2025
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Below are the stocks that came up in our search: While shares of Tesla , which has an RSI of around 22, advanced more than 5% midday Tuesday, on track to snap a three-day losing streak, the stock has had a rough time in recent weeks.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Outside of the December slide, this is as bleak as it’s looked for the Rangers this season.—
Arthur Staple,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
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Voters were also asked to give one word to describe the Democratic Party, and the responses were bleak.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Due in part to the tumultuous times, not a lot of contemporary records exist of Northumbria for this period.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
15 Mar. 2025
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Following decades of steady improvement, the past year has been a tumultuous one for international development.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After a ferocious campaign from fans, Disney+ brought the series back—initially a Netflix original from 2015 to 2018.—
H. Alan Scott,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
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But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, ferocious enemies and wilder terrors than ever before.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Summit even took Billboard on a run in Miami, explaining that given his wild schedule, exercise keeps him sane.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2025
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To create tension, a lot of the movie is just Indy tilting his head in curiosity while looking into the distance, immediately followed by a shot of empty space, which lets the imagination go wild.—
Rafael Motamayor,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The fish live in seasonal pools and ponds formed during the rainy season and lay their eggs in the muddy ground.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
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The beginning of the workweek could be rainy with a 40% chance of precipitation and high near 60.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Monday night’s fierce winds took it down, damaging the support structures in the process.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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The result captures something rarely seen in sports marketing: fierce competitors actively supporting each other’s growth.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turbulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turbulent. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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