disintegrate

verb

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

disintegrated; disintegrating; disintegrates

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

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

\ adjective

disintegrator \ (ˌ)dis-ˈin-tə-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

Even if this complicated and unlikely three-team deal disintegrates, the Celtics’ impending agreement with Walker means that Rozier’s time in Boston has almost certainly come to an end. — Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, "Could the door open for Al Horford to come back to Celtics?," 30 June 2019 The hearings were broadcast on national TV and showed the testimony of some witnesses disintegrating under questioning from the panel of judges. — Washington Post, "Widodo seals 2nd term as Indonesia leader after court battle," 28 June 2019 Around that time, the avid Trump supporter saw a decades-long friendship disintegrate over a political spat. — Ledyard King, USA TODAY, "Don’t get divorced because of Trump. The tough work of settling America’s political differences," 11 June 2019 The power of the thong disintegrated with the invention of the seamless brief. — Shira Feder, Vox, "The rise of granny panties," 5 June 2019 That means that half our heroes disintegrated and disappeared. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "Here's What Happens in the Ant-Man and the Wasp Post-Credits Scenes," 6 July 2018 With a national election looming, President Johnson scrambled to project confidence and control over a disintegrating situation. — Vanessa Bee, Daily Intelligencer, "How We Can Get a More Equal Union," 27 Mar. 2018 The Wildcats casually got better and took care of business the rest of its non-conference slate (beating Texas A&M, Alabama and UNLV among others), but by then the idea of this team having national title potential had completely disintegrated. — Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, "Out front in the Pac-12 on its own now, can we start believing in Arizona again?," 20 Jan. 2018 That streak ended in 2003, when the shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry, killing all seven crew members. — Margaret Lazarus Dean, Popular Mechanics, "The Oral History of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster," 28 Jan. 2019

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.