DISTRACTS Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

distracts

verb

present tense third-person singular of distract

as in diverts

to draw the attention or mind to something else we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in disturbs

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy distracted by the looming tax deadline

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 distracts There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 Outer Banks’ success has always rested on an emotional depth that distracts from nonsense plot points and over-the-top escapades. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 This cultural debate distracts from systemic policy failures and the high cost of raising children, which makes motherhood an economic battleground. — Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 Mother’s explosion distracts Blaine and frees Sam. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 May 2026 In my view, platforming these young men and sensationalizing their behaviors, rather than recognizing those behaviors as signs of psychological distress, distracts from the urgent need to address these serious mental health concerns. — Jordyn Tovey, The Conversation, 22 May 2026 Its artificial-looking color often distracts from the landscaping. — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 21 May 2026 Their romance distracts Berlin, who is usually focused and more emotionally detached. — Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 15 May 2026 Trump is renowned for his transanctionalism and willingness to deal with anybody if the dollar signs are there, but, when immigrants are involved, his interest in exclusion distracts him from the bottom line. — Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracts

Verb

Blocking one chokepoint diverts traffic to others, congesting alternatives.

— Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
The attempt by former HFPA members to leverage the Golden Globe Foundation, an independent nonprofit, simply to secure Golden Globes tickets is an unfortunate distraction that inappropriately diverts resources from legitimate charitable causes.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 July 2026

Definition of diverts

Verb

Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026

Definition of disturbs

Verb

That sequencing bothers people who’ve spent careers being told that data systems need privacy protections designed in, not bolted on after a scandal.

— Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Kurt's key takeaways What bothers me most about this scam is that criminals are going after people who may have the fewest options to protect themselves.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

The second is no small consideration in a system where sponsors are sued with some regularity, and Cerulli reports that worries about fees and litigation have slowed sponsors from changing their target-date arrangements at all.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Red velvet cake, but no happy surprises Cristi McGarey’s family often worries about the impact of what has felt like an unending deployment on her 22-year-old son.

— Chris Quintana, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of worries

Verb

The receptionist angers Kripke and Bert so much that they are picked up by the police — along with Stuart, who had also been arrested.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2026
According to the myth, Agamemnon angers the goddess Artemis by killing one of her sacred deer.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Definition of angers

Verb

Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of unsettles

Verb

The issue, also affecting manufacturers like Xiaomi and Xpeng, concerns unsafe emergency door-release systems.

— Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
However, as someone who has been studying Antarctic krill ecology and their role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem for 16 years, what currently concerns me most is how locally concentrated that harvest has become.

— Kim S. Bernard, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of concerns

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distractive

distracts

distrait

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“Distracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracts. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of distracts

verb

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