dismantle

verb

dis·​man·​tle (ˌ)dis-ˈman-tᵊl 

dismantled; dismantling (ˌ)dis-ˈmant-liŋ 

-ˈman-tᵊl-

transitive verb

1

: to disconnect the pieces of

will have to dismantle the engine

also : to destroy the integrity or functioning of

The program was later dismantled due to a lack of funding.

2

: to strip of dress or covering : divest

3

: to strip of furniture and equipment

dismantled the ship before scrapping it

dismantlement

(ˌ)dis-ˈman-tᵊl-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of dismantle

• disassemble
• detach
• disconnect
• dismember
• strike
• dismount
• divide

Examples of dismantle in a Sentence

The mechanic dismantled the engine to repair it.

When will they dismantle the old bridge?

The after-school program was dismantled due to lack of funding.

He accuses them of trying to dismantle the country's legal system.

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of dismantling debris, the mission aims to capture PROBA-1 with as little initial damage as possible, then guide it to destruction in Earth's atmosphere. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026

According to the 20th edition of the Foundation for Personal Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) Spotlight on Speech Codes report, colleges are quietly dismantling many of the speech restrictions that formerly defined the campus free speech debate. — Scott White, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

In Cairo, two Egyptian sources said Hamas had agreed to several contentious points, including the handover of weapons, but had requested changes regarding the definition of the infrastructure to be dismantled, adding more talks were underway. — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Rather than incurring the massive capital expense and regulatory hurdles of dismantling old turbines and building new ones from scratch, energy companies can simply strengthen their current infrastructure. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French desmanteler, from des- dis- + mantel mantle

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dismantle

• mantel
• santal

Kids Definition

dismantle

verb

dis·​man·​tle (ˈ)dis-ˈmant-ᵊl 

dismantled; dismantling -ˈmant-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to take to pieces : take apart

dismantled the engine to repair it

2

: to strip of furniture and equipment

dismantle an office

dismantlement

-ˈmant-ᵊl-mənt 

noun