at·om·ize
ˈa-tə-ˌmīz 
atomized; atomizing
1
: to treat as made up of many discrete units
2
: to reduce to minute particles or to a fine spray
3
4
: to subject to attack by nuclear weapons
at·om·i·za·tion
variants
also British atomisation
ˌa-tə-mə-ˈzā-shən
-ˌmī-ˈzā-
plural -s
: the act or process of atomizing
Examples of atomize in a Sentence
Verb
this medication for athlete's foot is atomized so that it can be sprayed on from an aerosol can
Recent Examples on the Web
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
The team used a micro-dispenser that emits minute droplets of liquid fragrance, along with ultrasound waves to atomize those droplets into a fine mist.
—Shirl Leigh
march 31, New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026
The internet has atomized some of the conservative movement’s culture—support for Israel within the Republican Party has been sustained in large part by voters’ embeddedness in evangelical church life.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
To accomplish this, Licklider proposed atomizing books into discrete blocks of information — exactly as Otlet had suggested more than half a century before, but now assisted by digital tools rather than index cards.
—Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atomize
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Verb
Maybe a sleek ship is being chased by enemy fighters through a dense asteroid field, and one of them smashes into a massive space rock and is explosively atomized.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
The team used a micro-dispenser that emits minute droplets of liquid fragrance, along with ultrasound waves to atomize those droplets into a fine mist.
—Shirl Leigh
march 31, New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026
The internet has atomized some of the conservative movement’s culture—support for Israel within the Republican Party has been sustained in large part by voters’ embeddedness in evangelical church life.
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
To accomplish this, Licklider proposed atomizing books into discrete blocks of information — exactly as Otlet had suggested more than half a century before, but now assisted by digital tools rather than index cards.
—Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atomize
Cite this Entry
“Atomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atomize. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atomize
verb
at·om·ize
ˈat-ə-ˌmīz
atomized; atomizing
: to reduce to very tiny particles or to a fine spray
Medical Definition
atomize
transitive verb
at·om·ize
variants
or British atomise
atomized or British atomised; atomizing or British atomising
: to convert to minute particles or to a fine spray
an atomized medicated powder
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