disarray

1 of 2

noun

dis·ar·ray ˌdis-ə-ˈrā

Synonyms of disarray next

: a lack of order or sequence : confusion, disorder

the room was in disarray

… the disarray of paper in the In-Out basket …—

Jackie Weger

: disorderly dress : dishabille

disarray

2 of 2

verb

disarrayed; disarraying; disarrays

transitive verb

: to throw into disorder

The discarded magazines and newspapers, the layers of dust and disarrayed rugs …—

Gloria Naylor

: undress

Example Sentences

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

On a night in which Boston’s center corps was thrown into disarray, Coyle served as a steadying force between Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. —

Conor Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2023 Amazon first announced its plans in fall 2018, but the pandemic has thrown them into disarray: White-collar workers traded their commutes for their living rooms. —

Teo Armus, Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2023 Now that all central banks have posted their results and the regionals seem to show signs of stabilizing, investors and experts are satisfied there’s no immediate risk of the sector collapsing into disarray. —

Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 The affair ended Sandoval and Madix’s nine-year relationship and has thrust the Bravo show and its many fans into disarray. —

Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023 But when 17-year-old Nickie brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray. —

Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2023 But when seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, their quiet lives are thrown into disarray. —

Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 Mar. 2023 While the Senate has already announced committee chairmanships and some priorities, the 40-member House is still in disarray. —

Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Jan. 2023 Finally healthy, the Male High School football team opened up the back of its playbook and threw the Kentucky Class 6A playoffs into disarray. —

Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 12 Nov. 2022

Verb

Hybrid data is here to stay, so don’t let data disarray slow innovation or undermine smart business decision making. —

Ram Venkatesh, Forbes, 10 Aug. 2022 For much of this summer, staff shortages and a surge of travelers have led to long lines at security and passport control, disarray at baggage claim and crowded terminals in Europe. —

Jacob Passy, WSJ, 12 July 2022 The hands-off approach in Washington is adding to disarray around the death penalty nationwide as pressure increases in some conservative states to find ways to continue executions amid shortages of the lethal-injection drugs. —

Michael Tarm, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2021 Eslam Negm is no stranger to disarray on the Suez Canal. —

NBC News, 2 Apr. 2021 Culley assumes a tough challenge of changing the culture of a Texans franchise that in the last year has gone from playoff squad to disarray. —

Mike Jones, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2021 The economic benefits are nothing compared to disarray and division within NATO. —

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 16 Dec. 2020 Naird’s situation is of a man with ramrod-straight posture prostrated and disarrayed at many odd angles. —

Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, 28 May 2020 Large or small, the surface had to appear elegantly disarrayed. —

Julie Lasky, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disarray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English disaraye, disaray "disorder, broken military formation," borrowed from Anglo-French dissairay, noun derivative of desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder" — more at disarray entry 2

Verb

Middle English disarraien "to break up (a military formation), throw into disorder," borrowed from Anglo-French desaraier "to mishandle, throw into disorder," from des- dis- + arraier, arreyer, aroier "to arrange, order, marshal, equip, attire" — more at array entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of disarray was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century