dismember
verb
dis·mem·ber
(ˌ)dis-ˈmem-bər 
dismembered; dismembering
(ˌ)dis-ˈmem-b(ə-)riŋ
1
: to cut off or disjoin the limbs, members, or parts of
2
: to break up or tear into pieces
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
By holding a button, a simple katana suddenly becomes a 10-foot blade, or a rapier sprouts a demolition-grade power drill — all capable of viscerally dismembering and maiming foes.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Once considered the jewel in the crown of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act has been largely dismembered since 2013 by the increasingly conservative Supreme Court.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Most historians believe Gunness would first poison her suitors, then finish them with an ax or by bludgeoning — afterward dismembering the corpses and burying what remained.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
He was arrested in November 1957 in connection to Bernice Worden’s murder, and officials discovered her body dismembered in his property.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dismember
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Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
Once considered the jewel in the crown of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act has been largely dismembered since 2013 by the increasingly conservative Supreme Court.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 15 Oct. 2025
Most historians believe Gunness would first poison her suitors, then finish them with an ax or by bludgeoning — afterward dismembering the corpses and burying what remained.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
He was arrested in November 1957 in connection to Bernice Worden’s murder, and officials discovered her body dismembered in his property.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dismember
Cite this Entry
“Dismember.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismember. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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