as in intruding
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion
it's rude to interrupt when someone is making an important point
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Recent Examples of interrupting
According to a 2025 study, interrupting prolonged sitting with three minutes of soleus push-ups every 30 minutes can reduce insulin response by 26%.
—
Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 26 Apr. 2026
The White House faulted Lucey for interrupting her press colleagues.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026
If an alligator is near a residence, place of business, or interrupting traffic on a public road, call WRC at 800-662-7137.
—Mark Price
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Across parts of the political right and the tech world alike, psychedelics are increasingly framed as transformative molecules capable of resetting trauma, interrupting addiction, or optimizing the brain.
—Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The 24-year-old was sidelined by a right hamstring injury of his own late in the regular season, interrupting his momentum right after the Nuggets had found success with him as a quasi-backup center.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
O’Hare, who sat just a few feet away from Willett, disagreed with Willett’s comments, immediately interrupting him.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The ensuing rescue dominated every TV station and headline, with networks like CBS, ABC and NBC interrupting primetime television to carry the coverage.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Low-slung timber and stone buildings trace the dunes' natural topography, never interrupting it, and views reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 26 Apr. 2026
The White House faulted Lucey for interrupting her press colleagues.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2026
If an alligator is near a residence, place of business, or interrupting traffic on a public road, call WRC at 800-662-7137.
—Mark Price
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
Across parts of the political right and the tech world alike, psychedelics are increasingly framed as transformative molecules capable of resetting trauma, interrupting addiction, or optimizing the brain.
—Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
The 24-year-old was sidelined by a right hamstring injury of his own late in the regular season, interrupting his momentum right after the Nuggets had found success with him as a quasi-backup center.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2026
O’Hare, who sat just a few feet away from Willett, disagreed with Willett’s comments, immediately interrupting him.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
The ensuing rescue dominated every TV station and headline, with networks like CBS, ABC and NBC interrupting primetime television to carry the coverage.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
Low-slung timber and stone buildings trace the dunes' natural topography, never interrupting it, and views reveal themselves gradually rather than all at once.
—Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for interrupting
Verb
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There are worse things that could happen than Jimmy Fallon intruding upon your life in the game and being forced to adapt to that.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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Where that movie was about one man intruding upon everyone else’s thoughts, however, this one is about everyone else’s thoughts intruding upon one man.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.—
John Hodgman,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The strategy also is open to criticism, especially after the Steelers spent most of Day 3 adding special-teams players — why not trade some of that Day 3 draft capital to jump up and secure Lemon like the Eagles did (Philly traded two fourth-rounders to move up three spots)?—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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With uptown being the center of the city’s investment and the need to make the office towers viable, adding homes and hotel rooms are next steps.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Allow chicken to rest for five to 10 minutes before cutting in to give the juices time to redistribute within the meat.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
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But the spare use of cutting in key moments can be a drag — when your brain is working faster than the movie, that’s a problem.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Interrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/interrupting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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