disintegrate

verb

dis·in·te·grate | \(ˌ)dis-ˈin-tə-ˌgrāt

Definition of disintegrate

transitive verb

1 : to break or decompose into constituent elements, parts, or small particles water disintegrates the limestone

2 : to destroy the unity or integrity (see integrity sense 3) of The lies disintegrated their marriage.

intransitive verb

1 : to break or separate into constituent elements or parts The iron hinges were disintegrateing into dust.

2 : to lose unity or integrity by or as if by breaking into parts The relationship started to disintegrate.

3 : to undergo a change in composition (see composition sense 2) an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity

Other Words from disintegrate More Example Sentences Learn More about disintegrate

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Other Words from disintegrate

disintegration \ (ˌ)dis-ˌin-tə-ˈgrā-shən

\ noun

disintegrative \ (ˌ)dis-ˈin-tə-ˌgrā-tiv

\ adjective

disintegrator \ -ˌgrā-tər

\ noun

Examples of disintegrate in a Sentence

The paper will disintegrate if it gets wet. The laser can disintegrate most kinds of rock.

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, there was no stopping the heavenly dumping, which turned much of Irvington Boulevard's esplanade to muck, disintegrated reporters' notebooks into pulp and overwhelmed stormed drains. — Zach Despart, Houston Chronicle, "Undaunted by downpours, Lindale Park holds July 4 parade," 4 July 2018 The kind of huge album sales which once served as the benchmark for pop stardom have been steadily disintegrating since the explosion of MP3s in the early 2000s. — Dj Louie Xiv, Vanities, "Has 2018 Killed the Pop Star?," 22 June 2018 At that point, the allusions Aster has so tantalizingly built up disintegrate into graphic gore and on-the-nose literalism. — Ann Hornaday, kansascity, "In terrifying ‘Hereditary,’ past horrors haunt a dysfunctional family," 7 June 2018 Their best edge guy was a disintegrating Lamarr Woodley. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "True NFL Draft Grades: 2014 Draft, Four Years Later," 8 May 2018 Schaap’s knowledge is so deep that when Dean Benedetti’s lost live recordings of Bird — one of jazz’s true holy grails — needed preserving and documentation, Schaap did the job, reinforcing eight miles worth of disintegrating tape by hand. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "The Mr. Memory of Jazz," 6 June 2018 The creature bobbles off, unsteady on its legs and disintegrating where the sun pierces its furry body. — Karen Russell, The New Yorker, "Orange World," 4 June 2017 Inside was a collection of folded papers held together by disintegrating rubber bands and rusting staples. — New York Times, "Found: Rosa Parks’s Arrest Warrant, and More Traces of Civil Rights History," 26 June 2018 In 1989, Brown was working on a DC-10 airplane carrying 285 passengers when a broken fan blade in a rear engine disintegrated causing a catastrophic engine failure. — Mari A. Schaefer, Philly.com, "Should child safety seats be required on airplanes?," 19 Apr. 2018

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