DISTRACTIONS Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

distractions

noun

plural of distraction

as in confusions

a state of mental uncertainty in my distraction I forgot where I was

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as in entertainments

the act or activity of providing pleasure or amusement especially for the public the founder of a recovery program who doesn't view gambling as a harmless distraction for people of modest means

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as in diversions

someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment a harmless distraction for children at the playground

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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 distractions AdGuard offers tools to help cut down on those distractions and give you more control over your online activity. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026 Maintain eye contact with the lens or host, present professionally and make sure your surroundings are appropriate and free from distractions. — Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Toward the end of the Knicks’ magical title run, however, a number of potential distractions arose—thanks to Dolan himself. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Daytime distractions push work to the weekend Some Sunday workers say working weekends or after hours is the only way to get focused work done. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026 With the enormous distractions and investments in college sports now removed, our institutions of higher learning can focus on their only mission, and that is providing the best, most affordable education on earth for our young people. — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026 That growth has been accompanied by a series of headline-grabbing distractions for the league under her leadership, especially in the past year. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 And indeed, some of Niccol’s moves at Starbucks have involved getting rid of some complexity and distractions, notably selling majority control of Starbucks’ China business last year. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 The architecture promotes an indoor-outdoor feel, allowing in views of sea, sky, and desert while excluding distractions. — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distractions

Noun

Before the Lost Weekend, John and Yoko had their New York Year — turning their personal confusions into beautifully vivid moments of rage and pain.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025

Definition of confusions

Noun

Football—besides being one of our more ubiquitous and unrestrained national entertainments—has also become one of the rare arenas in American life where highly specialized language can flourish without censure.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Among the New Wave of American filmmakers in the mid-’70s, Spielberg and his friend George Lucas stood out as directors with ambitions to make old-fashioned popular entertainments.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 June 2026

Definition of entertainments

Noun

Clever architecture means that the hotel’s true scale—and make no mistake, this is a bells-and-whistles resort with enough diversions to keep guests occupied for weeks—is hidden until the final moment.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
While sprawling resorts have long offered a menu of diversions, hotels are now catering to travelers’ desire for hands-on learning with immersive experiences led by local artisans.

— Julia Eskins, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of diversions

Noun

Many travelers speed right by on their way to the flashy amusements of Kemah or Galveston’s sandy beaches.

— Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 29 July 2026
Down a dark stairway is the murky world of Bronc’s Tack Room bar, a cavern with pool tables and the usual Stockyards amusements.

— Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026

Definition of amusements

Noun

See 15 inflatables and eight animatronics lining the lawn, creating a scene that’s both eerie and whimsical to delights neighbors.

— Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Grenada The new year marks the 150th anniversary of Spicemas, the annual August carnival in Grenada, which is known as the Spice Island due to its cultivation of nutmeg, cloves and other scented delights.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of delights

Noun

The shampoo didn’t strip the tester’s already-dry hair, and a two-minute conditioner left her tangles smooth enough to finger-comb.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
The brain’s surface has ridges and valleys, and CTE tangles are found in the depths of those valleys, called the cortical sulci, and surround blood vessels.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of tangles

Noun

But even those recreations are cut in with actual archival footage, so they are connected.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Apple Corps will use sets and props from the films to bring fans into immersive recreations of the Cavern, Abbey Road, Shea Stadium, Savile Row, and more locations that are integral to the band’s history.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of recreations

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distraction

distractions

distractive

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“Distractions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distractions. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of distractions

noun

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