disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
(ˌ)dis-ˈin-tə-ˌgrāt 
disintegrated; disintegrating; disintegrates
1
: to break or decompose into constituent elements, parts, or small particles
water disintegrates the limestone
2
: to destroy the unity or integrity (see integrity sense 3) of
The lies disintegrated their marriage.
1
: to break or separate into constituent elements or parts
The iron hinges were disintegrating into dust.
2
: to lose unity or integrity by or as if by breaking into parts
The relationship started to disintegrate.
3
: to undergo a change in composition (see composition sense 2)
an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity
Synonyms
Examples of disintegrate in a Sentence
The paper will disintegrate if it gets wet.
The laser can disintegrate most kinds of rock.
Recent Examples on the Web
The hood of the vehicle was largely disintegrated, the windows blown out and the doors blackened.
—
Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Much of that support disintegrated after Republican lawmakers accepted, and then quickly rejected, an effort to broaden the bill to criminalize other forms of reproductive coercion – including abusive control of a woman’s contraceptives.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The satellite disintegrated in the atmosphere about 50 miles above Earth.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
When the world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, routine handshakes disintegrated into social distancing.
—Taylor Scott, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2024
As the vehicle approached its destination, crossing over New Mexico into Texas, the orbiter began to disintegrate — visibly shedding chunks of debris.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The statues of Mary and Joseph bearing silent witness to this back-and-forth feels like a scathing commentary on America’s disintegrating values.
—EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
For the new Shuttle series, CNN gained access to NASA’s archives, as well as findings from the government’s official investigation of the tragedy, in which seven astronauts were killed as Columbia disintegrated while re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
As the old order disintegrates and a new one struggles to be born, the advantage lies with those who understand how to navigate skyrocketing complexity, hyper-commoditization, and essentially zero bandwidth for insightful, original creative thinking.
—John G. Singer, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Much of that support disintegrated after Republican lawmakers accepted, and then quickly rejected, an effort to broaden the bill to criminalize other forms of reproductive coercion – including abusive control of a woman’s contraceptives.
—Jenna Barackman, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The satellite disintegrated in the atmosphere about 50 miles above Earth.
—USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
When the world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, routine handshakes disintegrated into social distancing.
—Taylor Scott, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2024
As the vehicle approached its destination, crossing over New Mexico into Texas, the orbiter began to disintegrate — visibly shedding chunks of debris.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The statues of Mary and Joseph bearing silent witness to this back-and-forth feels like a scathing commentary on America’s disintegrating values.
—EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
For the new Shuttle series, CNN gained access to NASA’s archives, as well as findings from the government’s official investigation of the tragedy, in which seven astronauts were killed as Columbia disintegrated while re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
As the old order disintegrates and a new one struggles to be born, the advantage lies with those who understand how to navigate skyrocketing complexity, hyper-commoditization, and essentially zero bandwidth for insightful, original creative thinking.
—John G. Singer, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disintegrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near disintegrate
Cite this Entry
“Disintegrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disintegrate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
(ˈ)dis-ˈint-ə-ˌgrāt
1
: to break or decompose into the elements, parts, or small particles making up something
2
: to go through a change in composition
an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity
Medical Definition
disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
(ˈ)dis-ˈint-ə-ˌgrāt
disintegrated; disintegrating
: to break or decompose into constituent elements, parts, or small particles
1
: to break or separate into constituent elements or parts
2
: to undergo a change in composition
an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity
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