disperse

Definition of dispersenext
1
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole the crowd dispersed once the show ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to scatter
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart the family of the missing woman dispersed searchers to all corners of the national park

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to disband
to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization the campaign staff dispersed almost immediately after the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disperse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disperse are dispel, dissipate, and scatter. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

When can dispel be used instead of disperse?

Although the words dispel and disperse have much in common, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

When could dissipate be used to replace disperse?

The meanings of dissipate and disperse largely overlap; however, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

When would scatter be a good substitute for disperse?

The words scatter and disperse can be used in similar contexts, but scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

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 disperse In their statement, police said the footage shows Orr reaching into his waistband and retrieving a firearm, prompting the group to disperse and flee. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 According to a criminal complaint document filed in the Western District of Missouri Sunday, Rincker reportedly accepted $1,200 from Alvarez to disperse the cash to other co-conspirators. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2026 Homes would be joined by roughly 16 acres of open space dispersed throughout the development, with amenities like pathways, pickleball courts, a half basketball court, three covered picnic or gathering areas and a playground, Black said. Rose Evans updated June 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 June 2026 The ominous weather dissipated and held off until after the crowds dispersed. Ben Church, CNN Money, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • Eventually the crowd dissipated, some to head to Arrowhead for the game itself, others to Fan Festival and still others to watch parties across the metro.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026
  • The song’s spacious production lets its piercing saxophone riffs dissipate into silence, only for borderline obnoxious horns to swirl them back into rhythm.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Feeling scattered and unfocused?
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 25 June 2026
  • Makeshift battle stations were scattered across a corner of the park with fans lined up at each, waiting to challenge the host.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The city and a group of taxpayers for years squabbled in court over whether the government had the right to enter into a contract with the Friends, which ultimately disbanded before the zoo opened in Griffith Park in 1966.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • This group, along with a number of others dedicated to examining and addressing inequities in the military, has been disbanded.
    Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • With Prime Day 2026 winding down, now is your last chance to upgrade your pet's sleep setup before the deals disappear.
    Jessica Moore, USA Today, 27 June 2026
  • If the collision occurs in Europe, a country like France will disappear completely from the map, and the entire continent will become an unimaginable disaster area.
    Govert Schilling, Scientific American, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Reger was, at the time of the presentation, healthcare benchmarks initiative director for the state Office of Health Strategy (OHS dissolved as of the close of business on June 25.
    Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2026
  • According to Ornatov, expired dishwasher and laundry detergents can also clump up, separate, or dissolve differently.
    Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • But Rosales said that tradition was fading, possibly another casualty of a more cutthroat political climate.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026
  • The pen barrel depicts fields of wheat that fade into plowed farmland and trees, with distant mountains rising beneath a vast open sky.
    Nancy Olson, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

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