disrupt

play

verb dis·rupt \ dis-ˈrəpt \

Definition of disrupt

transitive verb

1 a :to break apart :rupture

three periods of faulting disrupted the rocks
—University of Arizona Record

b :to throw into disorder

demonstrators trying to disrupt the meeting

2 :to interrupt the normal course or unity of

… disrupted a bridge game by permanently hiding up the ace of spades …
—Scott Fitzgerald

can disrupt an industry with new technology

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disrupter

noun

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disruption

play \-ˈrəp-shən\ noun

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disruptive

play \-ˈrəp-tiv\ adjective

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disruptively

adverb

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disruptiveness

noun

See disrupt defined for English-language learners

See disrupt defined for kids

Examples of disrupt in a Sentence

The barking dogs disrupted my sleep.
The weather disrupted our travel plans.
a chemical that disrupts cell function

Recent Examples of disrupt from the Web

Moreover, plots by solitary actors are more difficult to detect and disrupt, and the number of potential volunteers can be vastly larger, compared to trained terrorist cadres in sleeper cells.

— joby warrick, Washington Post, "A battered ISIS grows ever more dependent on ‘lone wolves,’ simple plans," 20 July 2017
One of the goals of gradually unwinding the balance sheet would be to not disrupt broader economic growth despite the possibility of rising long-term rates.

— martin crutsinger, chicagotribune.com, "Yellen tells Congress to expect more rate hikes," 12 July 2017
It disrupts the lives of blue and other giant whales, forcing them to abandon their habitats and increasing the risk of calves being separated from their mothers.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "The Bipartisan Fight for Quieter Oceans," 5 July 2017
In order to fill these jobs, without disrupting production, there is a new attitude in human resources departments.

— phil blair, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Get off the couch! There are jobs out there," 3 July 2017
Teams sometimes don’t want to disrupt draft preparation.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Sam Mellinger: Chiefs owner Clark Hunt showing a ruthless side his silence often hides," 30 June 2017
FedEx Corp. says the attack on its TNT Express unit was significant, disrupting operations, but its other businesses were not hit.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 29 June 2017
Two Japanese workers died, neighboring towns were contaminated with radiation, and industries essential to the region’s economy were disrupted.

— patrick malone, Science | AAAS, "A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons," 29 June 2017
While China has a travel blacklist for plane passengers who disrupt flights in this matter, at least the old woman wasn't dragged off the plane.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Plane Delayed After Coins Thrown in Engine 'For Luck'," 27 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of disrupt

Latin disruptus, past participle of disrumpere, from dis- + rumpere to break — more at reave

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First Known Use: 1793

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disrupt Synonyms

Synonyms

break up, bust, distintegrate, dismember, break, fracture, fragment, rive

Antonyms

arrange, array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, range, regulate, straighten (up), tidy

Related Words

atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreck

Near Antonyms

doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

DISRUPT Defined for English Language Learners

disrupt

play

verb

Definition of disrupt for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to be unable to continue in the normal way : to interrupt the normal progress or activity of (something)

DISRUPT Defined for Kids

disrupt

play

verb dis·rupt \ dis-ˈrəpt \

Definition of disrupt for Students

disrupted; disrupting

1 :to cause disorder in

disrupted the class

2 :to interrupt the normal course of

Barking dogs disrupted my sleep.

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disruption

\dis-ˈrəp-shən\ noun

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disruptive

\-ˈrəp-tiv\ adjective

Learn More about disrupt

See words that rhyme with disrupt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for disrupt Spanish Central: Translation of disrupt Nglish: Translation of disrupt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of disrupt for Arabic speakers

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Origin and Etymology of disrupt

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DISRUPT Defined for English Language Learners

disrupt

Definition of disrupt for English Language Learners

DISRUPT Defined for Kids

disrupt

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disruption

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