tumult

noun

ˈtü-ˌməlt How to pronounce tumult (audio)
Definition of tumultnext
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

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 tumult Much like Tinubu’s presidential tenure, the campaign has been dominated by conversations around economic tumult and insecurity. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 The push is the strongest effort yet to establish federal rules for college athletics and regulate athlete compensation after years of negotiations and tumult. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026 Impact on stocks Investors are on watch for how the bond market tumult is impacting stocks. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2026 The riotous 640-page doorstopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tumult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tumult
  1. commotion
  2. upheaval
  3. roar
  4. disturbance
  5. unrest
  6. noise
  7. turmoil
  8. howl
Noun
  • In the commotion, she was briefly separated from her 85-year-old mother, who lives with her.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That allowed passengers to hear the commotion and discover what was happening.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of commotion
Noun
  • Law enforcement was heavily deployed to contain potential upheaval, but there were no new episodes of looting on Saturday, when about 10,000 protesters gathered in a peaceful demonstration in Milan.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Then, during our planet’s infancy, volcanic upheaval and deep-earth alchemy created more than a thousand new minerals.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of upheaval
Noun
  • The highlight of the play during a montage that was shown on the overhead videoboard set off some of the loudest roars of the night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Gators’ front let out its strongest roar in the fourth quarter with a fourth-and-1 stop that led to a rushing touchdown by Baugh, cementing a 27-17 lead.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of roar
Noun
  • The vote, which is veto-proof, was met with praise by animal rights groups and park advocates who have long called for the ban citing several incidents where horses crashed or caused disturbances.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also a second disturbance several hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda that could develop through Friday while moving north-northeast, the hurricane center advisory said.
    — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Noun
  • The unrest began after high school students took to the streets last month to denounce poor conditions and resources at their campuses.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Those clashes came as social unrest has set Europe's streets ablaze from France and Italy to Spain and Portugal, fueled by youth frustration over the state of public education, social services and the high cost of housing.
    — JOVANA GEC, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unrest
Noun
  • But the only picture mode that comes close to being that bright also has a notably green bias and ramps up the fan noise to a level that almost anyone will consider intolerable.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Communities are fighting data centers over spiking electric bills, soaring electricity and water demand, noise, land use and taxpayer subsidies.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of noise
Noun
  • Throughout that year, as Israelis poured into the streets to protest Netanyahu's far-right government and its plan to weaken the judiciary, Netanyahu's security chiefs warned that regional enemies could take advantage of the turmoil to attack.
    — Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • France, whose 10-year bond yield touched 5% last week for the first time since 2002, got a reprieve from recent turmoil after Moody’s decided to maintain its Aa3 credit rating and negative outlook on the nation.
    — Ananya Chetia,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of turmoil
Noun
  • When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The second slide was a video (without sound) of the couple’s first kiss, which King prefaced with what looked like a howl of joy, followed by a series of passionate kisses and an arms-in-the-air yelp from the groom.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of howl

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tumuli
tumult
tumults
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Cite this Entry

“Tumult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tumult. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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