dismember

verb

dis·​mem·​ber (ˌ)dis-ˈmem-bər 

dismembered; dismembering (ˌ)dis-ˈmem-b(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cut off or disjoin the limbs, members, or parts of

2

: to break up or tear into pieces

dismemberment

(ˌ)dis-ˈmem-bər-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of dismember

• disrupt
• break
• destroy

Examples of dismember in a Sentence

The victims' bodies had been dismembered and buried in the basement.

quickly dismembered the old toolshed and hauled it off to the dump

Recent Examples on the Web

Detectives believe Bogatiryov and Voranoff beat Furman to death, then dismembered his body and disposed of his remains, Covelli said. — Barbara Vitello, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026

Detectives believe the two men beat Furman to death, then dismembered and disposed of his remains, which have not yet been recovered despite multiple searches of Diamond Lake, according to the complaint. — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 30 July 2026

D4vd is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and dismembering her body in 2025. — Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026

The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing and dismembering the teenage girl to prevent her from disclosing details about their relationship ahead of the release of his album, prosecutors said. — Jason Kravarik, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dismembren, from Anglo-French desmembrer, from des- dis- + membre member

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dismember

• crewmember
• december
• nonmember
• november
• remember
• september
• ember
• member

Kids Definition

dismember

verb

dis·​mem·​ber (ˈ)dis-ˈmem-bər 

dismembered; dismembering -b(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to cut off or separate the limbs or parts of

2

: to break up or tear into pieces

dismemberment

-bər-mənt 

noun

Medical Definition

dismember

transitive verb

dis·​mem·​ber (ˈ)dis-ˈmem-bər 

dismembered; dismembering -b(ə-)riŋ 

: to cut off or disjoin the limbs, members, or parts of

dismemberment

-bər-mənt 

noun