disarray

noun

dis·ar·ray | \ ˌdis-ə-ˈrā

Definition of disarray

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a lack of order or sequence : confusion, disorder the room was in disarray … the disarray of paper in the In-Out basket …— Jackie Weger

2 : disorderly dress : dishabille

disarray

verb

disarrayed; disarraying; disarrays

Definition of disarray (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to throw into disorder The discarded magazines and newspapers, the layers of dust and disarrayed rugs …— Gloria Naylor

2 : undress

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about disarray

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Examples of disarray in a Sentence

Noun

The room was in disarray. The company has fallen into complete disarray.

Verb

he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Brexit is threatening to put Britain into disarray. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "The One Sure Thing About Trade," 27 Dec. 2018 Mere hours later, as the Judiciary Committee was gearing up to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination, Flake threw all of that into disarray. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Everything that’s happened since the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing, explained," 2 Oct. 2018 The stabbing of Jair Bolsonaro, one of the leading candidates in Brazil's presidential elections, has thrown the race into disarray, making an already unpredictable contest even harder to call. — Sarah Dilorenzo, Fox News, "A look at top candidates in Brazil's presidential race," 7 Sep. 2018 The fate of the Supreme Court was thrust into disarray this past June, when Justice Anthony Kennedy unexpectedly announced his retirement. — Lauren Duca, Teen Vogue, "The Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court Feels Inevitable. But We Can Actually Stop Him.," 31 Aug. 2018 That threw into disarray the balance of power through which Democrats and Republicans, by virtue of their respective controls of the Assembly and Senate, had long been forced to the bargaining table. — Vivian Wang, New York Times, "Even for Albany, an Unusually Unproductive End to Session," 21 June 2018 While his play always seems ready to careen into disarray, Sexton showcased a sui generis ability to somehow finish a play, either by himself at the rim or finding an open teammate. — Matthew Giles, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking the top 50 prospects in the 2018 NBA draft," 19 June 2018 Duque's detractors warn that his victory could throw an already delicate peace process into disarray. — Christine Armario And Joshua Goodman, The Christian Science Monitor, "Colombia's president-elect appeals for unity after runoff election," 18 June 2018 A year ago, Amazon made a surprise $13.7 billion bid for Whole Foods, throwing the rest of the grocery-retail market into disarray. — Kevin Kelleher, Fortune, "Whole Foods CEO Says He's Not Afraid to 'Speak Truth' to Jeff Bezos," 14 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In this one, the first of a series published from 1935 to 1961, readers are introduced to a nervous Londoner named Pongo Twistleton, whose orderly life is disarrayed by the visit of his peremptory and mischievous uncle Fred from the country. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: Surprise Lessons From John Lithgow’s ‘Stories by Heart’," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disarray.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.