disintegrate

verb

(ˌ)dis-ˈin-tə-ˌgrāt How to pronounce disintegrate (audio)
Definition of disintegratenext
1
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition fallen leaves slowly disintegrate over the course of the winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles modern air pollution is gradually disintegrating the ancient temple's irreplaceable friezes

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly a tornado disintegrated the building in a matter of seconds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disintegrate His relationship with his wife (Anna Faris) and kids is disintegrating and a National Enquirer journo keeps threatening to run an exposé of his infidelities. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 The house was the only one that was still standing; all the others have disintegrated into abstract shapes. — Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Cristobal disintegrated just as quickly in the northern Atlantic on August 13. — Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 If that’s the case, eagle-eyed observers may be able to witness the space rock disintegrate in real-time. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disintegrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disintegrate
  1. decompose
  2. grind
  3. disrupt
  4. decay
  5. crush
  6. break
  7. rot
  8. pound
Verb
  • Most of the remains were severely decomposed, but investigators believed Montgomery had been dead for less than a day when he was found.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Fifteen months later, 56 decomposing bodies were found at their South Chicago Chapel.
    — Susana Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • The third round was old-style Gauff, scratchy and inconsistent and grinding her way to victory with her legs, over Cristina Buçsa.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • What is so distressing about the lawsuit that is grinding through the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan is that there seems to be no end in sight.
    — Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • Goldman Sachs economist Daan Struyven warned in a recent note that prices could still reach $120 a barrel as the war, now in its seventh month, continues to disrupt shipping.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The officials in Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, Georgia, New Hampshire and Kansas warned in an amicus curiae letter to the Supreme Court on Wednesday that late implementation of the rule could disrupt the midterms.
    — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • The book takes on the form of a journal by Utsugi, an aging patriarch, who, recovering from a stroke, discovers that while his body is decaying, his libido rages on.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Some detest the compost odor; others say decaying food attracts rats.
    — Emily Staunton, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of decay
Verb
  • The vanishing New York chronicled in the blogs of the mid-aughts has mostly vanished, NYU has colonized large swaths of downtown, and a populace struggling to afford the crushing price of housing has arisen in its wake.
    — David Freedlander, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Now workers are crushing concrete and twisted metal into roads, shelter floors, and spaces for community kitchens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • The Durzi addition should also help the Rangers break pucks out of their defensive zone at five-on-five.
    — Peter Baugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • After enduring a record-shattering heat wave this spring, Southern California continued to break temperature records this week when Long Beach and Anaheim reached a blistering 107 degrees and Escondido hit 112 degrees.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of break
Verb
  • Flies buzz over the rotting carcass, which is riven by claw marks so unnaturally deep that no one can determine whomauledit.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • They shouldn’t be stored below 45 degrees because chilling can cause internal damage and eventually contribute to breakdown and rot, explains Gregorie.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of rot
Verb
  • The Americans were constantly pounding the ball inside and converting turnovers into easy layups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Communities have seen waves pound the coastline, eroding the shore and putting homes and infrastructure at risk.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of pound

Browse Nearby Words

disinhibition
disintegrate
disintegrated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disintegrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disintegrate. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All