disband

verb

dis·​band dis-ˈband How to pronounce disband (audio)
disbanded; disbanding; disbands

transitive verb

: to break up the organization of : dissolve

intransitive verb

: to break up as an organization : disperse
disbandment noun

Examples of disband in a Sentence

They've decided to disband the club. The members of the organization have decided to disband.
Recent Examples on the Web The committee disbanded in 2019 after Iceland banned nonconsensual tubal ligations. Sarah Hurtes, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023 Under his ownership, the site dramatically cut its workforce, disbanded its Trust and Safety advisory group and did away with its user verification system. CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023 After a hiatus, the senators got back together in 2006, only to disband again a year later, following the arrest of the Idaho senator Larry Craig, who sang lead, for lewd conduct and solicitation in a men’s restroom. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 Israel disbanded its settlements in Gaza in 2005, later enforcing a blockade on the territory after Hamas seized control of it in 2007. Patrick Kingsley Daniel Berehulak, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 The group disbanded in 2016, but reunited in 2019 for a 10th anniversary tour. Sean Clancy, arkansasonline.com, 17 Nov. 2023 Now Hong Kong’s political groups and civil-society organizations were preparing to disband. Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2023 Memes about the bureau routinely failing to prevent violent attacks made the rounds — along with calls to disband the agency altogether. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023 Meta also disbanded and dispersed its responsible innovation team — a group of people in charge of spotting potential safety concerns in upcoming products. Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disband.' 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

Middle French desbander, from des- dis- + bande band

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disband was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near disband

Cite this Entry

“Disband.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disband. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

disband

verb
dis·​band dis-ˈband How to pronounce disband (audio)
: to break up the organization of a group : disperse
disband the club
disbandment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disband

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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