welter 1 of 2

noun

Definition of welternext
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

welter

2 of 2

verb

as in to wallow

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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
Noun
But Chinese users and developers still face a welter of restrictions, including the inability to access third-party payment services, the newspaper said. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026 Petrochemical plants convert hydrocarbons into materials that go into a welter of consumer goods – from plastics, clothing, and beauty products to digital devices and detergents. — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Nov. 2025 The welter of Globo international partnerships and deals confirmed on stage on Sunday at Cannes Carlton Hotel by Angela Colla, Globo Head of International Business and Co-productions, did much to suggest that for Globo the future is beginning again. — John Hopewell, Variety, 12 Oct. 2025 In the past ten years, the military’s constitutional prerogative to operate beyond civilian control had regularly obstructed a delicate nationwide peace initiative among a welter of groups. — Derek J. Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2021 See All Example Sentences for welter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for welter
  1. commotion
  2. jumble
  3. havoc
  4. wallow
  5. disturbance
  6. medley
  7. chaos
  8. shuffle
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
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • Lignel began conversations with the gallery in 2008 as a recession wrought havoc upon the New York art market and the global economy.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Lucas Calderon, owner of Holy Crab, a Coral Gables seafood business that specializes in stone crab home delivery, recalls the havoc Milton wrought on the industry.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of havoc
Verb
  • For all of its subtext about the pitfalls of algorithms, the film doesn’t wallow in nostalgia.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Bryan’s previous records have wallowed in the recent past; Young Manhood uses it like a piston into the future.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of wallow
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
  • Waiters walked around the room serving bowls of pasta with a medley of sauces.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • After an opening medley that spans New Orleans jazz and bounce, the record’s signposts grow increasingly fuzzy.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of medley
Noun
  • Rather than chasing fancy titles or splashy paychecks throughout her career, she’s gravitated toward jobs that pushed her out of her comfort zone, forced her to take risks, and taught her to embrace a little chaos.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading ⦠WAKE-UP CALL â France's riot chaos fuels warning that mass immigration failures could haunt another country.
    — , FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of chaos
Verb
  • It’s been more than a year since Ozzy Osbourne shuffled off this mortal coil.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Current traded away some assets while shuffling stars like Michelle Cooper, Temwa Chawinga and Lorena in and out of the lineup.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shuffle

Browse Nearby Words

welt
welter
weltered
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shindig

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All