as in confounding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in diverting
to draw the attention or mind to something else
we were distracted from our discussion by the noise outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
distracted by the looming tax deadline
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 distracting
Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Since Davies’ head cam and the witness cameras picked up too many distracting objects on set (such as boom mics), this either interrupted his performance or was too difficult to paint out in post.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 3 Jan. 2025
Rather than use distracting phrases that undermine your leadership integrity, do this.
—Terina Allen, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
What emotion is social media distracting users from feeling?
—Ellen Choi, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Haynes relies on photographs, clips from tangentially relevant ephemeral films and soundless remnants shot by mentor/facilitator Andy Warhol, a strategy that can be distracting and rewarding in turns.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Yet another highly sought after PR guru, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the sensational nature of the complaint is distracting from an industry reality.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The distracting little notification badges!
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability.
—Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.
—Barry Collins, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Since Davies’ head cam and the witness cameras picked up too many distracting objects on set (such as boom mics), this either interrupted his performance or was too difficult to paint out in post.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 3 Jan. 2025
Rather than use distracting phrases that undermine your leadership integrity, do this.
—Terina Allen, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
What emotion is social media distracting users from feeling?
—Ellen Choi, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Haynes relies on photographs, clips from tangentially relevant ephemeral films and soundless remnants shot by mentor/facilitator Andy Warhol, a strategy that can be distracting and rewarding in turns.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Yet another highly sought after PR guru, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the sensational nature of the complaint is distracting from an industry reality.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The distracting little notification badges!
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 22 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distracting
Verb
-
An amendment proposed by Councilman Mark Jeffreys called for diverting I-71 and I-75 southbound to eastbound I-275.—
Erin Couch,
The Enquirer,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Meanwhile, anger simmered among residents who accused the government of diverting the island’s already scarce resources to migrants at their expense.—
Sam Mednick and Thomas Adamson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
-
The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Despite these extraordinary gains, recent research published in PNAS Nexus highlights two deeply perplexing contradictions in women’s psychological well-being: the paradox of declining female happiness and the paradox of the contented female worker.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Queen’s habit of grinning in intense huddles or after a bad practice is both endearing and perplexing.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Experts warn that an afternoon or evening coffee could disrupt your circadian rhythm, disturbing your sleep.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
7 Jan. 2025
-
The Piano Teacher asks you (and teaches you) to stick with disturbing moments and unpleasant characters.—
Ilana Masad,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
This is somewhat puzzling because a core tenet of cosmology is that at sufficiently large intergalactic scales, the universe’s properties and structure should be essentially the same in all directions.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
1 Apr. 2025
-
As biologists studied the problem in the years after the initial detection, however, some noticed a puzzling pattern.—
ByWarren Cornwall,
science.org,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Companies with low-quality data could end up with AI outputs that are inaccurate and biased, which could send the company's strategy in the wrong direction, frustrate customers or worse.—
Rob Sanchez,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
TikTok has called the claims inaccurate and is appealing some of the rulings that have allowed the addiction suits to advance.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The ominous thriller received a second trailer on Tuesday (April 1) as the Toronto singer/actor took viewers further into his bewildering odyssey.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 Apr. 2025
-
But for those of us who consider a walk of over a half-mile a squandered opportunity to knock a golf ball hither and yon, Los Angeles offers a bewildering array of worthy courses to explore for players of all levels.—
David Weiss,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Distracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distracting. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share