dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
-lə-;
(ˌ)dis-ˈlō- How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
dislocated; dislocating; dislocates

transitive verb

1
: to put out of place
specifically : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2
: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Examples of dislocate in a Sentence

She fell and dislocated her shoulder. The new hotel will dislocate several businesses. Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web Her twin sister Jasmine, and senior Sofi Majidi, added 3-pointers in the fourth en route to nine and six points, respectively. Streeter, who dislocated her knee cap on Wednesday night, played well off the bench before exiting late in the game. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 1 Mar. 2024 The move led to him dislocating his shoulders and fracturing his neck. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024 The courtroom marshal, Shane Brandon, charged Redden; Brandon dislocated his shoulder and sustained a face laceration, police said. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2024 Brady, who missed the 2022-23 season after dislocating her patella in practice, is averaging 13.3 minutes per game and has played the most in UConn’s biggest matchups. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2024 Interest rates could begin to really bite, dislocating vulnerable sections of the economy. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024 Star guard Paige Bueckers also missed the entire 2022-23 season with a torn ACL, as did redshirt freshman Ice Brady after dislocating her patella. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024 McHale has also spoken several times about an incident on set that led to him accidentally dislocating Chase's shoulder. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 12 Oct. 2023 Because joints with weak connective tissue are more likely to dislocate, experts tend to recommend exercises that can help stabilize and strengthen vulnerable areas. Korin Miller, SELF, 1 Feb. 2024

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

Medieval Latin dislocatus, past participle of dislocare, from Latin dis- + locare to locate

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dislocate was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near dislocate

Cite this Entry

“Dislocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislocate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dislocate

verb
dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-
1
: to put out of place
especially : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2

Medical Definition

dislocate

transitive verb
dislocated; dislocating
: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone
he dislocated his shoulder
also : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
the humerus was dislocated in the fall

More from Merriam-Webster on dislocate

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