disrupt

verb

dis·​rupt dis-ˈrəpt How to pronounce disrupt (audio)
disrupted; disrupting; disrupts

transitive verb

1
a
: to break apart : rupture
three periods of faulting disrupted the rocksUniversity of Arizona Record
b
: to throw into disorder
demonstrators trying to disrupt the meeting
2
a
: to interrupt the normal course or unity of
disrupted a bridge game by permanently hiding up the ace of spades …Scott Fitzgerald
b
business : to cause upheaval in (an industry, market, etc.)
The banking industry, on the other hand, is being disrupted by a breakdown of the model of paying money on deposits and taking interest on loans.Cromwell Schubarth
specifically : to successfully challenge (established businesses, products, or services) by using an innovation (such as a new technology or business model) to gain a foothold in a marginal or new segment of the market and then fundamentally changing the nature of the market
In contrast, the digital technologies that allowed personal computers to disrupt minicomputers improved much more quickly; Compaq was able to increase revenue more than tenfold and reach parity with the industry leader, DEC, in only 12 years. Clayton M. Christensen et al.
… this innovative service that might disrupt the industry comes at the low end of the product/service/technology, a place where these high-end consumers have neither interest nor experience. This low-end attack, which initially does not attract much attention, might grow to be a high quality service that supplants the incumbent. Eitan Muller
disrupter noun
or less commonly disruptor

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 on the Web The veteran center back pairing of Emily Menges and Kayla Sharples were lockdown defenders for 90 minutes, holding an organized back line that never got beat through the middle and routinely recovered to disrupt fastbreak opportunities. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 This year’s edition began with protesters disrupting the festival’s opening night to call for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 London/Hong Kong/New York CNN — McDonald’s was hit by a system failure Friday that closed restaurants and disrupted online and app orders around the world, including in the United States, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Olesya Dmitracova, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 And last October, London police arrested five protesters who disrupted a performance of Les Misérables, according to The Guardian. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 The firm, founded in 2005, was intended to disrupt the stuffily old-fashioned approach that dominated luxe travel, intending to broaden its appeal to a younger moneyed clientele. The Editors, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 Nuñez said the mayor’s administration must do as much as possible to absorb a population whose mass arrival has disrupted D.C. while not alienating other immigrant groups that did not receive that level of support. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Continue with your usual routine and preserve these moments (like chatting before going to sleep, brushing teeth, or cuddling in the morning) will ensure the relationship isn't too disrupted and major touchtones stay in place. Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024 Why This Matters Burnout and shortages have disrupted the clinical workforce; Bain & Company's US Clinician Burnout Survey reported nearly 1 in 4 clinicians (25%) surveyed are considering switching careers and 40% lack resources to operate at full potential. Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024

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

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

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of disrupt was in 1663

Dictionary Entries Near disrupt

Cite this Entry

“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disrupt. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disrupt

verb
dis·​rupt dis-ˈrəpt How to pronounce disrupt (audio)
: to throw into disorder
disrupted the class
disrupter noun
disruption noun
disruptive adjective
disruptively adverb
disruptiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disrupt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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